Above the Tie Open Comb Slant - Initial Impressions

Early Impressions of Above the Tie Open Comb Slant

Summary: Efficient razor with some unique design combinations that rewards those with good technique.

Do you like slant razors? How about open comb razors? Like long combs? Like short combs? What if a razor combined all those traits in precision-machined stainless steel? That is what you get with the Above the Tie (ATT) Open Comb Slant razor.

The ATT Open Comb Slant is an amalgam of many beloved traits from the most efficient razors, but it is very unique as well. I bought it to compete with my RazoRock (RR) Stealth Slant v3 and pick a favorite. So, most of my comments will be in comparison to the Stealth.

Note that I only bought the ATT head, not the handle. The handle shown in the photos is the Dr Bomber handle from my Mongoose. It should also be noted that I have had only 3 shaves with the ATT (2 different blade types) and dozens with the Stealth. One other thing to note is the significant price difference between these razors. The RR full razor was $80 and the ATT head was $146.

The most obvious difference from the RR to the ATT is the open comb. In fact, this open comb is different than any I have seen, personally. At the lower end of the slant is a long comb. As you move up the slope, the curved part of the combs get shorter until there is just a straight nub at the highest point of the slant. This should be easy to pick up on in the photos.

Another difference that stands out is the slant angle. The RR has a much steeper angle than the ATT. As a result, the RR twists the blade more than the ATT. It also results in the RR blade edge being angled more downward toward the baseplate whereas the ATT blade edge is more parallel to the baseplate. This shallow blade angle makes it difficult for me to shave under my nose without irritation. I can't raise the handle to get the razor blade angled downward. The RR has issues of its own shaving under my nose because the head is so thick it doesn't fit well to shave WTG.

There are also some other clear differences in weight (the stainless steel ATT is much heavier than the aluminum RR) and color. Though I just ordered a stainless Stealth today, which should negate these differences.

Next is something unique that these two razors share: they are both designed with tapered blade exposure. You can see in the photos that the blade has significant exposure on one end of the razor and reduces to very little blade exposure on the other end.

While the blade exposure is not consistent along the blade edge, the blade gap on the ATT is consistent. The blade gap is also larger on the ATT vs the RR.

With those design differences in mind, it should be no surprise that the ATT razor is the more aggressive of the two. With the Stealth, I find that even with a Feather blade I don't need to be the slightest bit careful. If I had to shave half asleep, the RR is the one I would choose.

The ATT, on the other hand, is aggressive when paired with a Feather. This pairing gave me the closest shaves I have ever had on my cheeks and "easy" areas but I left some patches in my more difficult areas of my neck because I felt some irritation when I tried to go ATG or touch them up. We will have to see if familiarity with the razor and and/or different blades enable me to get that close of a shave without irritation. If an R41 is your favorite razor and you have thick facial hair, I can almost guarantee you will LOVE this razor. I needed to pay close attention when shaving with an R41 or it would bite me. This is smoother than that, but not by a lot.

Those are my initial thoughts, but the fun continues and I will provide an update on which razor I choose to keep.

 

Thanks for a great write up. The ATT looks very nice but their razors always do.

 

very nice looking, good report as well. thanks

 

That bade exposure was the first thing I noticed.

 

Very nice razor, question does it have uneven blade exposure down the length of the cap. I have to play with my ikon when loading the blade and screwing the cap in to get uniform blade exposure down the length of the razor?

Very nice razor and I really like open comb and slant

 

That is one fine-looking and intimidating razor!

 

I addressed it in the writeup (which I know is very long and I wouldn't expect everyone to read it). The blade exposure is tapered by design. I tried sliding the blade on the RR Stealth Slant parallel with the top cap. As a result, the razor clogged faster (it already clogs faster than most) and it wasn't as mild. I haven't tried that with the ATT because I would rather use it how it was designed.

 

I use to load my ikon slant like that in the beginning to I really could not tell the difference between shaves with it loaded either way so I wouldn't worry. Very nice razor lets know after a month what you think about it

 

I have not seen a slant razor before or even heard of one. Will have to do some research on this style. It is interesting for sure.

 

Excellent review and contrast. I look forward to your update.

 

Slants are very good, in particular, for guys with thick facial hair. Rather than the blade pushing down evenly along the top of the hair (which can cause tugging) it slices it at an angle like a guillotine. There is less tugging as it cuts through the hair without pushing down on it.

 

Also good for those who have lots of close together shifting in their grain patterns.

 

Thanks for the great information...shifting in the grain patterns...I am going to have to take a good look at mine. Again thanks guys.

 

Great write up, and very nice pics!

 

Nicely done!

 

So, after changing to the Black Ninja blade, I regret comparing this to an R41. This razor is not nearly that aggressive. It is still much more aggressive than the Stealth, though.