open comb vs safety bar

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by Hercule, Aug 16, 2021.

  1. swarden43

    swarden43 "It's your shave. Enjoy it your way."©

    @Tedolph you don't have a mustache, do you? ;)
     
  2. Tedolph

    Tedolph Well-Known Member

    Yep, pencil 'stash. Very debonair.....the "mature" ladies like it.

    A straight is the only way I can actually see what I am doing. With a safety I am flying blind. Worse, it is just about impossible to do between the top of the 'stash and up to the nose with a safety. No prob with the SR!
     
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  3. romsitsa

    romsitsa Well-Known Member

    The first mention of a "safety bar" on a DE was in Schlüsslers (Asan, Henso etc.) patent from 1924, but there could be earlier ones. My guess is the very first bar design was Otto Roths (Rotbart) corn razor from the early 1900s.
     
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  4. Lancre

    Lancre Well-Known Member

    That jibes with my experience.
    That jibes with my experience too.
     
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  5. Ron R

    Ron R Well-Known Member

    Close comb & open Comb is more a American engineering marvel & European's came along for the ride is my thinking. The first mass produced safety razor in the world was the Star brand lather catchers (Kampfe brothers, Brooklyn NY) that were open & closed comb & worked great.
    My $.02 worth on a good razor is when you take a few strokes and see lather coming out the lather ports of a safety bar type of a razor(it does not need to be a lot) you are getting good lather protection and if the shave is stellar you have a great razor. Open comb you are going to get good protection regardless. A good safety bar should be scalloped IMO, lots of folks ride the cap (Shallow approach)so you are going to get lather protection regardless. Folks who ride the guard (Steep approach)might prefer scalloped razors for better lather protection.
    I like both open comb, closed comb & safety bars that are scalloped, lots of different razors available in vintage & modern for folks.
     
    Last edited: Aug 21, 2021
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  6. jmudrick

    jmudrick Type A Man

    1915:
    [​IMG]

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  7. jmudrick

    jmudrick Type A Man

    The safety bar as a smoothing and stretching device was highlighted in the Christy patent, filed in 1921.

    [​IMG]

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  8. IAmTheJody

    IAmTheJody Gillette-i Master Staff Member

    Uhg. Now I want that razor. I've always wanted a DE that had actual rolling guards. And I think an injector with a rolling guard would be pretty awesome as well! Paging Dr. @twhite !
     
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  9. twhite

    twhite Peeping Tom

    Let me finish my TARMAX SE. Then I can do the TARMAX IN with a roller guard for you.
     
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  10. jmudrick

    jmudrick Type A Man

    This is a different roller guard than the more common one from the late 20s. No idea how the White's (no relation I presume) shaves, but the later Roller Guard makes the OT an excessively mild shave for me

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  11. IAmTheJody

    IAmTheJody Gillette-i Master Staff Member

    :smiley respect::signs136:
     
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  12. Tedolph

    Tedolph Well-Known Member

    Well, if the primary purpose of the so called "safety bar" is to stretch the skin ahead of the razor (see patent above) wouldn't a rolling safety bar defeat that purpose? Also, if you are trying to shave a beard off or a few day's worth of growth, wouldn't it just make more sense to use a straight?
     
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  13. jmudrick

    jmudrick Type A Man

    It's not the primary purpose in every design.



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  14. Tedolph

    Tedolph Well-Known Member

    Then what is the purpose?

    To scrape away all the lather before the blade edge gets there?
     
  15. jmudrick

    jmudrick Type A Man

    Are we back to the beginning?? The safety bar limits blade exposure so you can shave safely before your morning coffee. That's why it's called a safety bar and safety razor.

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  16. Tedolph

    Tedolph Well-Known Member

    My reply was sarcastic. I agree that it does provide safety, especially with something like a Fool's Pass. But many old advertisements for the first safety razors tout the skin stretching effect of the safety bar. Back to the beginning, I can't see how a solid bar does not "scrape away " the lather first before the blade gets there. Open combs are a big improvement in this regard based on my personal experience. Anyway, I know that at this point I am just repeating myself and being argumentative.
     
    Last edited: Aug 22, 2021
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  17. IAmTheJody

    IAmTheJody Gillette-i Master Staff Member

    Actually now that I have had a nap and more time to think about it, I didn't even put two and two together of that 1915 Whites Razor with Roller Guard and you TOM WHITE! lol! I was paging Dr. White as the doctor creating all of these awesome Frankenstein razors and could do one with an actual rolling guard.
     
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  18. jmudrick

    jmudrick Type A Man

    You are . Hey it's the internet.

    Open comb razors became problematic in the 30s precisely because they didn't manage lather effectively. Brushless creams clogged in the teeth and the safety bar designs like the Barbasols and Tech and Clog-pruf were supposed to manage the pass through of lather better than the OC contemporaries.

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  19. twhite

    twhite Peeping Tom

    So what you are saying is. You don’t want one now.
    Ok I get it. You don’t like me. :)

    JK I will make you one just because you planted it in my melon. I need to scratch that itch now.
     
  20. IAmTheJody

    IAmTheJody Gillette-i Master Staff Member

    Nooooooo! I definitely do want it! :angry017:

    :happy102:
     
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