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

1 June 2015 brings a 30 Day Rule with an OC Cadet!



One puck, ten blades, an OC Razor and a huge brush! All month!

Have a great Tuesday!
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Learned something today.

Someone mention in my SOTD that this was a nice New Standard...



I thought it was a New Improved. So got to lookin what the difference was. I found none.

The New Standard was labeled in some of the New Improved cases.

A New Improved was made in the 1920's to improve the old Standard (single, double ring and old type). It has the two guard bars going through the bottom plate. The bars are thicker and the bottom plate is flat.

Then they came out with the New in the '30's. It doesn't have the two guide posts, but has a slot on the base plate for the cap to fit in. There is a bump across the bottom of the plate. The New Deluxe (Which I don't have and would really like) has a flat underside of the bottom cap. It's supposed to be a great shaver.

I already knew all the stuff about the New razor. But this is my first New Improved.
For me, it's a little more aggressive than the New. I also feel it's giving me a better shave. The only bad thing about them is the handles weren't made to last a 100 years. But I don't think Gillette was thinking that someone would be using it a century from then.

Thanks for listening to my ramblings. My Bostonian should be in any day!

 

Razor: 1933-34 GEM Micromatic (NRA Box)
Blade: CVS Single Edge
Brush: Rubberset 200-3
Soap: Sterling Margaritas in the Arctic
Aftershave: Vintage Skin Bracer

 

5/04/15 - 1922 Gillette Bostonian

This razor is a masterpiece.



Shaves like a dream!! Efficient with a smooth aggression and feel of a Samurai Sword.

 

Red & Black New Deluxe Only my second shave with this razor and I can already tell I'm really going to enjoy this one.



Mr. Razor reference photo:

 

6/08/15 - 1921 Gillette Single-Ring

In 1921 Gillette started making a Single Ring and Old Type with a thicker head and cap. I've seen it called a Model 102A.
This is one of those. A great shaver. Light and nimble and it didn't seem so inclined to bite like my 1918 Old Type. Provided a clean BBS Shave.

 

Still doing OC all month!

 

Just now saw this, apologies for the massive response lag. I am using oft-maligned products for some 30 day rules this year in order to get an informed and reasoned opinion of said products. After 13 shaves, it can be an adequate soap. I would definitely not reccomend it to a newbie. It takes some effort, but I am loading a damp 48 and then lathering on my face. It takes a lot of soap versus water to get any lasting lather, and the smell...is unique. Could I shave with it forever? Yes. Will I ? Not after this month, and I doubt I will use it again really. At that price point, Arko is in a different universe. Williams may deserve some of its derision, at least at this point in the month. It's just too much work for blah scent and average performance.

 

Current Williams (CW) was the first soap I used when I started Traditional Shaving and I used it until it was gone before moving to C.O. Bigelow cream. The one thing about learning with CW is that you learn on a difficult soap and then many others afterwards seem to be a breeze. It is a good techinque builder but eventually most move on from CW to other products.

 

Excellent counterpoint! I learned with Proraso Green and Arko, and a little VDH deluxe, all "easy" soaps, and the amount of effort CW requires is almost absurd to me as a result. Maybe we should tell all brand-newbies to use it.

 

Beautiful razors, guys.

 

Thanks.

 

These are my 3 LC's. For some reason, each one shaves different. I'm going to use all 3 this week and see how they compare side by side.

Using the one on the far right the last 2 days and it is aggressive. About like a New Improved... So about a 7 on a Slim to me. But it's not a smooth 7. Had to mind what I was doing.

I'm more partial to the SC News. The teeth on the LC's get in the way.

 

A razor with very little pedigree - The Meehan OC.
I know pretty much nothing about it apart from that it was made in Germany and gives a surprisingly close shave.

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Used my Gillette LC NEW with the Ball-End handle.

I used the standard handle LC for the last 3 days and it's pretty aggressive with a feel of the blade. This ball-end had a smooth feel, but just as efficient.
A very good shaver. Just need to do a little work on the handle. Gotta order some Marine Epoxy and read up on it. I have about 4 handles that need it.

 

That looks just like the Gillette long comb ball end New I picked up a few weeks back. It is an aggressive razor, but provides an excellent shave. I like it a lot. I've never tried the short comb and I need to put one on my shopping list one day. How would you compare the LC to a Slim setting?

 

I'd say this one for me is at a 5 on the Slim. I do have another with a standard handle that is at a 7, maybe an 8 on a Slim. Not sure why it's much more aggressive.

I prefer a SC better because I don't feel all the teeth like I do on these LC's and it's a bit smoother shave for me. But both give excellent shaves.

 

Nick at Sport Shaving did some outstanding work on my Gillette New Long Comb. Rhodium and Rose Gold