Open Comb Central - The Place With Real Teeth (No R41, Hybrid or Closed Combs)

OCtober 30, 2017
Wolfman OC Ti (0.74mm) with Triad Ti Aristocrat
Personna 74 (15)
Wild West Brushworks 30mm Tuxedo
Fine Platinum Shave Stick
Fine Platinum Aftershave

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Today is the last of the Open Combs for this month; a Fatip Piccolo.

The Good & Bad. The Good is that it shaved like all the Fatips I've used and that I still haven't found any blade alignment issues. I simply put the cap down, drop the blade on the cap, put base plate on the cap/blade assembly the put the handle on the post. Once the handle is close to snug turn the whole assembly over and snug down.

The Bad is the handled machining. This example show obvious start stop points on about half of the guilloche cuts. It could have been a dull blade but most likely simply inattentive operator. This isn't something that can effect performance but it do look fuggly.

Soap was again the old Old Spice and the brush was an even older Strongset boar. The shave was a close. comfortable, effortless two pass with only minor touchup; PDG but not PDG+. Between the two Fatips this month I really prefer the Grande and since the heads are close to if not identical, the difference must be the handles.

The aftershave today was Veggie and I really like it.

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Tomorrow a short summary of all the pairings for the month.

 

SOTN OCtober 29th


Gillette New Short Comb
Treet New Steel
Stirling Boar Brush
Stirling Baker Street soap
Stirling Mountain Man AS

 

OCtober 31, 2017
Wolfman OC Ti (0.74mm) with Triad Ti Aristocrat
Personna 74 (16)
Wild West Brushworks 30mm Tuxedo
CRSW Jeff’s Soap
Floid Blue

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OCtober 2017 - day 31.



Vintage Gillette NEW (LC, RFB, made in England) / Apollo handle.
Gillette 365 Stainless (3).

Yaqi model R151016-S2.
Haslinger Schafmilch.
Haslinger Sandelholz ASB.

The difference between the English RFB (Raised Flat Bottom) NEW and the standard NEW is the lower part of the bottom plate.
Left: NEW LC, RFB, made in England.
Right: NEW LC, standard, made in USA.




The last "OCtober 2017" post - it was fun ...

 

Tuesday's OC Shave


Proraso Pre Shave
Colgate Mug Shaving Soap
Jayaruh #229
Gillette NEW LC
Gillette Silver Blue
CWR
Thayer's Lemon WH
Pinaud Clubman

I started off with Proraso Pre Shave. The Colgate Mug Shaving Soap face-lathered well with the Jayaruh #229 synthetic brush. I did two passes with the Gillette NEW LC razor and Gillette Silver Blue blade and ended up with a close, comfortable shave. After a cold water rinse, I finished off with Thayer's Lemon WH and then Pinaud Clubman AS. I am clean, smooth, and refreshed...

 

OCtober 31 SOTD:

30DC LE Brush
MWF
Gillette Sheraton
Stirling Unscented PSB
Clubman Special Reserve

 

The Month in Review:

This month was a series of comparison pairings with Open Comb razors that was broken into two parts. In the first Phase five Gillette OCs were paired with five newer OCs. Surprisingly, the newer razors actually came out on top in three of the five pairings.

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The first phase:

• RazoRock Old Type vs a 1918 made Gillette Old Style and the RR was significantly more comfortable and more efficient.
• Merkur 1904 vs Gillette No Date Code No Serial number Old Style and they were really close but the Gillette just slightly better.
• Merkur 25C vs Gillette New LC; this pair were so close it was just the Gillette still showing original gold plating that made it the winner.
• Fatip Grande vs Gillette New SC and the Fatip Grande was significantly more comfortable with the same shave result.
• Finally an ATT S2 vs a Gillette Sheraton where surprisingly the S2 was more efficient than the Sheraton.

The second phase:

In the second phase the best from the first phase were pitted against five different OC razors as well as different blade formats and three additional OC razors added at the end.

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• The RazoRock Old Type against a different 1918 made Gillette Old Style and again, the RR rocked.
• The No date code Gillette Old Type vs a GEM MMOC; close but the Gillette was more comfortable.
• The Gillette LC vs a Durham Duplex and surprisingly the Durham Duplex was much more comfortable and as efficient.
• The Fatip Grande vs a Valet AutoStrop VC1 with a despined GEM blade; close again but the Fatip slightly better.
• This is actually a trilogy with an ATT S2 vs ATTSE2 with a Feather AC blade & a R2 with the same blade that was in the S2; of the three the S2 was by far the most comfortable.
• The final two were a Fatip Piccolo and one of my Rolls Razors and again those were pretty close.

So that was OCtober 2017.

 

OCtober 31, 2017

Love Your Shave Two Band
MDC Agrumes
Rhodium & Gold Gillette New LC
Personna 74 Tungsten
Fine Italian Citrus
Terre D'Hermes

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SOTN OCtober 31st


Cooper MonoBilt
Treet New Steel(2)
30DCLE Brush
Dr Jon's Hydra

 

Finally found one of the razors on my list, the Grand Shave King Self Lubricating Razor ($8 at a local shop).

Blade- Gillette 7 O'clock Blue
Soap- Soap Commander Honor
Brush- WD Silvertip


Herm

 

Cool razor! Nicely presented.

 

I'd gotten behind on this thread. Your razor, the Cooper...that looks like a flip open top to me from looking at the pic. Does it? I'm not familiar at all with that brand, but it looks cool!

 

November 15 SOTD:

Razorock Plissoft Brush
@Vlasta Sample G
Gillette Old Type
Stirling Unscented PSB
Clubman VI Bay Rum

 

Thank you!

Herm

 

Yes indeed it is a flip top or as Cooper called it a swing top. They were manufactured in the 20's-30's in the US and one of my absolute favorite open combs!

 

Very cool.

Herm

 

I recently came across this Cooper, which is a traditional 3-piece rather than the one piece you have. I haven't shaved with it yet.

Herm

 

If it shaves anything like the MonoBilt you are in for a treat, Herm!

 

That's a stout looking razor.