Open combs look pretty nice, but I was wondering how the shave is different from a closed comb razor.
Yes. They can sometimes be a bit more aggressive. I like them when I have a few days growth. The 34 Aristocrat is my favorite.
used my Muhle OC the other day for the 1st time with the Merkur Head, but didn't get that great of a shave from it. irritation free, but not as close as with the EJ closed head. can't wait for the new Muhle head to arrive.
OK, it is a myth that they are more aggressive. Some are, some are not. Some safety bar razors are worse than almost all open comb razors. Some open comb razors are smooth and super mild. I have seen claims that these are better for dealing with several days worth of growth than a safety bar razor. Maybe, I don't usually get several days worth of growth anymore, so I couldn't tell you. Yes, the shave is a little different. But that changes a lot from one model to another anyway. The gaps between the teeth allows hair to be guided more upright to the blade. However, there are still teeth and they are close enough together that the blade isn't really that much closer to the skin. Hair that passes under the teeth may not be cut as well. However, with multiple passes, it is doubtful that the same hairs go under the teeth instead of between the teeth with every pass.
I'd say the aggressiveness can vary drastically -- just like with a closed comb razor. I like to think that a larger blade gap makes a more aggressive shave. Personally, I find the Merkur open combs to be extremely mild, while a Gillette NEW is much more aggressive.
I almost cut my ear off with an Old Type once.... :happy102 I want to try a Merkur 11C, but I keep hearing how mild they are, if its Weishi, Tech mild it might be a good thing for my earlobe. :ashamed001
Nothing much to add, except that the rake appearance of an open comb makes it look meaner, so it's easy to assume that they must be aggressive. As others have pointed out, "it ain't necessarily so."
I don't think that they are any more aggressive but they do seem to give a more comfortable shave when I have a 2 day growth. By comfortable, I mean the feel of the whiskers tugging as they are mowed down.
I personally enjoy using the open comb razor. I do not think it is anymore aggressive then a razor with the bars.
I've also been thinking of getting an 11c....Kind of silly...My SS and Injector have been giving me the best shaves of my life...Something has happened to the Black Beauty...It's been shaving better than any DE I've ever used including it...That day I cleaned it with the Windex and it's TTO knob started working like new...But the shaves improved dramatically...Maybe the doors are closing a little further changing the blade arch and angle...I don't know but I like it....Still I've always wanted to try the infamous Hoffritz HD OC...And since I heard Merkur made those and its basically an 11c, I've wanted one... And reviews??
I shaved with a vintage Hoffritz OC head on a Bull Mastiff handle last night. It was very mild. It felt like I had to use a steeper angle then using the Gillette Old Type. Granted it was my first time with this particular razor head, but I didn't get nearly as close a shave as I normally do with the Old Type. I think I am going to use it when I need a very mild shave. I have also had the Merkur 11c (Open Comb HD). I tried using it for about two weeks and could just not get a good shave from the razor. It seemed overly mild and bordering on unusable to me. I ended up giving it to my brother and he uses it whenever he shaves. I guess they fall under the YMMV heading. I see numerous posts of people enjoying the razors, but they just are a bit on the mild side for my tastes. I much prefer the Old Type to any of the Merkur OC I have tried. HTH.
Another razor that is rated as much more aggressive than reality, is the slant. Now, I have two OC slants, and they really aren't that bad either.
There are OC slants? I was thinking about getting the Sledgehammer Slant for my B-Day, as the scuttle is on hold until Robert Becker is better(Get Well Soon!) but the beauty of the open combs has caught my eye as well. Conundrums.
They made a few a long time ago. Feather made some plastic/bakelite ones a long time ago. Merkur made one (I have one in poor shape). I also have one from Ziglar. You don't see them very often; however, every now and then one comes up on the Germany e-Bay site.
My favorite razors are OC. As has been state some are mild (Muhle R41) while some of the Gillette NEW can be pretty aggressive. I must say I have a preference to the NEW.
Blade type I have Gold Bostonian that I recently purchased and found that like any other razor, it depends on what blade you use. You may wish to get a sampler pack and try different blades.
I have been putting off replying to this thread because I had just started using an OC the same day this thread appeared. I had a Gillette NEW that had been sitting on the shelf and cleaned it up and actually surprised myself and how nice it turned out. SO I took it for a spin. I first thought that - WOW this thing is way more aggressive than my Fatboy on 6. It just did such a nice job cutting through a two day growth and I had a DFS+ shave after only 2 passes. Then I saw this thread and saw how most guys were saying that the aggressive feel of the OC was a myth. After my one and only experience with an OC I thought to my self - no way it is a myth. How can a razor that gives me a better shave than my SS or my Fatboy in less passes not be more aggressive. So I have been using it everyday since and I love this thing more and more! I am getting DFS+ and BBS shaves with it every day and with only two passes. My blade (Astra SP) is also lasting longer. I have one day a week off and I have started to let my self get into the habit of not shaving on that day, but I hated the tug and pull I was getting with my SS. I do not have that problem at all with the OC and it just makes the shave very enjoyable. I do agree (now) that it is not really a more aggressive razor but I am not sure how to explain the better results. I am hooked on OC razors now!
Cool to hear! As has been said about the aggressiveness of OC razors, some are more so, some are less. I do find the NEW to be more aggressive than my Sheraton.
