"Flat-Head" Open-Comb DEs

[Alum of Potash]

A little background: I've been using straight razors to shave with since 2011, and the last time I used a DE was around 2012. Being out of practice, the prospect of returning to a DE scared me. Recently, on the Maggards website, I came across a vintage open-comb DE razor made by the Standard Safety Razor Co. of Germany and decided to pick it up. My interest was that the description mentioned the head being flat, requiring a different shaving angle than DEs with curved heads. I imagined that it might be more analogous to a straight in this way. Having shaved with it for the first time this evening, the shave was close with only a couple of mild weepers (I had foreseen the inevitable cut). Feel afterwards was a little bit raw, which I chalk down to inexperience, but all in all, it was a pretty good shave.

Attached below, are a couple of quick shots of the head, to show the "flat" design. This appeals to me as a possible sub-genre. Are there or were there other DE razors designed "flat" like this?

 

[rudyt]

Are there or were there other DE razors designed "flat" like this?

Here's my flat bladed razor, that looks very similar to yours.

 

[Alum of Potash]

Here's my flat bladed razor, that looks very similar to yours.

Thanks for your post. The head profile does seem the same. The handle is more stout for sure. Is it marked underneath as to the maker? An open-comb?

 

[never-stop-learning]

Gillette New Improved:

 

[Invicta]

My interest was that the description mentioned the head being flat, requiring a different shaving angle than DEs with curved heads. I imagined that it might be more analogous to a straight in this way.

Typically the cap only bends the blade ~10 degrees so this is not a lot of difference from other DEs. You are still trying to apply a 30 degree blade angle which is similar to a straight razor. Clearly the blade angle varies with user preference but you can see the difference is not that great.
The Shave Wiki is down at the moment but will be back up very soon; Blade Angle | Badger & Blade
In the mean time this illustration may help;

 

[romsitsa]

One is just in the process of being converted to accept half DE/injector blades It laid around for years in my stash as it had bent/broken teeth and an uneven head. The handle is not original, it was a Single ring type construction now is a three piece with short screw.
They are pretty direct razors, not sure why they exist. Maybe the flat head prevented blade cracks or it was used to avoid an infringement of Gillettes patent.



Adam

 

[Alum of Potash]

Typically the cap only bends the blade ~10 degrees so this is not a lot of difference from other DEs. You are still trying to apply a 30 degree blade angle which is similar to a straight razor. Clearly the blade angle varies with user preference but you can see the difference is not that great.
The Shave Wiki is down at the moment but will be back up very soon; Blade Angle | Badger & Blade
In the mean time this illustration may help;
View attachment 1085329

Thank you for the illustration. From my experience of using the flat-head razor, the angle would seem less than 30 degrees, if that's what's shown, more towards the cap. Related to straights, I recall someone being of the opinion that the 30 degree angle of approach was a kind of myth, and I suppose that if there is around 10 degrees of difference with my DE razor in question that would put it at around 20 degrees. With straights, a common advice in starting out is to angle the edge so that the spine is about one spine width away from the skin surface, while certain period straight-razor packaging (Shumate, for example) goes so far as to say that the blade should lie flat on the face. In either case, I imagine that the angle is less than 20 degrees.

 

[DarkSpy]

I'm also interested in DEs that have flat baseplates, but not necessarily OC.
The other razors I know that have flat designs are the PILs and the Zazor, which is a Turkish kamisori style DE "Shavette".

 

[kingfisher]

In addition to the Gillette New Improved, already mentioned, I would add the Gillette New Deluxe. The iKon "Deluxe OC" was based on this design, so one could add this razor to the list, as well.

 

[Tordu]

Focus is going to release 3 razors with a flat head design ( pic taken from the superiorshave website) looks interesting to me

 

[rudyt]

In addition to the Gillette New Improved, already mentioned, I would add the Gillette New Deluxe. The iKon "Deluxe OC" was based on this design, so one could add this razor to the list, as well.

The Gillette New Improved and De Luxe do not have flat blades. Most of the blade is indeed flat, but the top cap bends the blade close to edge. It's not a continuous bend like other razors where the blade is an arch, but it's still a bend.

 

[Alum of Potash]

Thank you for the illustration. From my experience of using the flat-head razor, the angle would seem less than 30 degrees, if that's what's shown, more towards the cap. Related to straights, I recall someone being of the opinion that the 30 degree angle of approach was a kind of myth, and I suppose that if there is around 10 degrees of difference with my DE razor in question that would put it at around 20 degrees. With straights, a common advice in starting out is to angle the edge so that the spine is about one spine width away from the skin surface, while certain period straight-razor packaging (Shumate, for example) goes so far as to say that the blade should lie flat on the face. In either case, I imagine that the angle is less than 20 degrees.

I can't edit this now, but in the last sentence, I meant to write "less than 30 degrees."

 

[stone and strop]

A New Improved is exactly the same.
I recently acquired one as well as a gift "Richmond".
Pretty different to shave with eh Alan?
I'm not sure the angle changes significantly and certainly will take a few shaves to get the best out of it.
For me, it was a med. aggressiveness equal to a slim at around 5 or 6.

 

[Alum of Potash]

Focus is going to release 3 razors with a flat head design ( pic taken from the superiorshave website) looks interesting to me View attachment 1085445

Thanks. That flat one is interesting. I have a Focus R21 shavette that takes dedicated DE half blades and it is hands down, the best shavette I've ever used. I'll have to study Jarrod's remarks on these.

 

[Alum of Potash]

A New Improved is exactly the same.
I recently acquired one as well as a gift "Richmond".
Pretty different to shave with eh Alan?
I'm not sure the angle changes significantly and certainly will take a few shaves to get the best out of it.
For me, it was a med. aggressiveness equal to a slim at around 5 or 6.

Hey Paul. Nice to see you in DE land. I really don't have enough experience with DEs to say how aggressive this Standard flat razor is compared to the others. I imagine the blade is more exposed here making it more aggressive. Felt a little aggressive in the sense of laying the whiskers low at the cost of a bit of harshness. In using it, I've switched back to using my dominant hand only to shave with, which I don't do with straights. That felt a bit awkward on the "far side" of my face.

Edit: I just read Jarrod's remarks about the R51, and it seems that it's the mildest, with the concave head being more aggressive.

 

[DarkSpy]

I'm really interested in those Focus razors, unfortunately the R51 seems to be too mild and there isn't enough information about the other two, but it seems they don't use the same flat design (especially the slant).

 

[BigJ]

Typically the cap only bends the blade ~10 degrees so this is not a lot of difference from other DEs. You are still trying to apply a 30 degree blade angle which is similar to a straight razor. Clearly the blade angle varies with user preference but you can see the difference is not that great.
The Shave Wiki is down at the moment but will be back up very soon; Blade Angle | Badger & Blade
In the mean time this illustration may help;
View attachment 1085329

Great explanation! A picture is worth 1,000 words!

 

[Snowbeard]

I'm also interested in DEs that have flat baseplates, but not necessarily OC.
The other razors I know that have flat designs are the PILs and the Zazor, which is a Turkish kamisori style DE "Shavette".

Of course there's always the Darwin "Original" for another example of a razor with a very flat baseplate.

 

[THall]

Focus is going to release 3 razors with a flat head design ( pic taken from the superiorshave website) looks interesting to me View attachment 1085445

Interesting, reminds me of the Gibbs but flattened out.

 

[Tanuki]

Here’s mine. Not a great shaver. OC, no maker’s mark, no ID at all. Long screw, cracked tube. The cap looks a little flatter on top than the other two. It is in very rough shape. I only bought it because of the strange flat head profile, and the negligible price.