That's what membership here seems to do to people! Having bought three Gillette OC razors since joining and finding them not so scary, I wanted to try the R41 current version to see how it worked for me. My guess is that it might be overkill as I shave daily so there's never that much beard to remove. I'll find out soon enough.
Tips for shaving with an open comb DE razor?
- Thread starter 100pctFragranceFree
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I ended up buying the same razor.... got a 10% discount for signing up to their site. Just a little more than the head alone on Amazon, as you've mentioned.. but they added shipping, of course... and the State Florida tax as well. So final cost was $39.22. I hope I don't regret it.... I have the RR Lupo 95OC... I really should have shaved with that first before I ordered the R41 but it was a pretty good sale. The handle looks like it's worth $12.47.
I have a Lupo 95SB and it has a lot more blade feel to me than my R41. A lot. I have thought about getting a Lupo 72SB baseplate to see if it has less blade feel, then my WR2 0.95 says no, no, no, it's MY turn.
Initially I got the Lupo 95SB as it is supposed to be comparable to the WR2 1.25, and I already had a 1.15 on loan. I found the 1.15 just a bit much and got the 0.95 instead, and am very, very happy with that decision.
~doug~
When I bought my Lupo, I ordered a 72SB base plate as well. Maybe I should start with that one when its time in the queue comes up.
My Fatip Grande is great.
When I bought my Lupo, IB sent me a Lupo 95SB baseplate and a Game Changer cap. A week later they sent me a Lupo cap and said to keep the GC cap, so all was good. I needed another GC cap and got one for free!
~doug~
This!My advice is to forget the nonsense that open comb razors are inherently more aggressive than closed comb. There are mild and aggressive open comb razors just like any other type of razor. No special technique is required in my opinion
There are terribly mild open combs (Merkur) . On the other hand there are solid bar razors that beat almost every open comb (Ikon Tek).
My Razorock Gamechanger OC gave me the best shave of my life to date. And I didn’t need to change my technique at all. It’s one of three open combs I have including their SLOC which is also in my regular rotation. With the SLOC though, I do find I have to take it very slow to get the angle right.
+1 - I started DE shaving with a safety bar thinking that open comb would be too aggressive for me. Then I learned about the difference in performance between the two and after two months or so I got a Fatip Special Edition.My advice is to forget the nonsense that open comb razors are inherently more aggressive than closed comb. There are mild and aggressive open comb razors just like any other type of razor. No special technique is required in my opinion
What I found was that the open comb was much smoother than the closed comb. And I got a closer shave. Nowadays I even have a R41 (albeit in the mindset of the versions) and it gives me great shaves.
Since then I turned my attention (or my attention was turned by Enablers Inc here!) to more vintage razors and I would say the the early Gillettes such as the NEW and NEW Improved are excellent yet comfortable and smooth OC razors.
I still like my close combs as well - recently was gifted a Matador and that can easily rivel with any of my OCs.
My suggestion would be to give it a go. Start with a milder OC and see what you think of it. You can always dial up if you need to.
Enjoy your quest!
Guido
The Fatip Gentile head is not a typical closed comb. It has teeth pointing upwards, like the Merkur 37. So actually much closer to an open comb razor.
Thanks for pointing that out @ivan_101 - that should read as mentioned above. I was shaving with a KCG the morning I decided to switch to the OC plate from my Fatip for the third pass. That’s when it all began. Took my initial fear of OCs away completely.
Cheers,
Guido
Another topic, in which pretty much everyone has a different opinion? Imagine my shock. Seriously though, oc razors are not super different from sb razors and it's normal to think that they are some torture devices at first. When I first started with a Tech, I thought that oc razors are made by the devil himself and I never thought that I would have the guts to try one.
Just like with sb razors, oc razors also vary in many different ways and you can't just put them all in the same category and for instance call all sb razors mild and all oc razors aggressive. Asking such questions is never a bad thing, but you will get mostly opinions and points of view rather than solid facts, since pretty much everything related to shaving is tied to a personal preference and what I think about oc razors might be considered a complete nonsense by someone else and vice versa.
I mostly enjoy using vintage oc razors, since most modern feel a bit spiky and toothy. The only way to know for sure is to try them out and if you don't mind using vintage razors, I would recommend starting with a Gillette NEW Long Comb. If you find it too mild and inefficient, you can try the New Improved or a #160 Goodwill. As for modern, a Fatip Grande might be a good start, even though Fatips are among the most controversial razors, because you either love them or you can't stand them.
Just like with sb razors, oc razors also vary in many different ways and you can't just put them all in the same category and for instance call all sb razors mild and all oc razors aggressive. Asking such questions is never a bad thing, but you will get mostly opinions and points of view rather than solid facts, since pretty much everything related to shaving is tied to a personal preference and what I think about oc razors might be considered a complete nonsense by someone else and vice versa.
I mostly enjoy using vintage oc razors, since most modern feel a bit spiky and toothy. The only way to know for sure is to try them out and if you don't mind using vintage razors, I would recommend starting with a Gillette NEW Long Comb. If you find it too mild and inefficient, you can try the New Improved or a #160 Goodwill. As for modern, a Fatip Grande might be a good start, even though Fatips are among the most controversial razors, because you either love them or you can't stand them.
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In what way (mildness?) does the Ikon Tek beat almost every open comb razor?
In aggressiveness, not mildness.
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