Great bargain bin at GFT Jermyn St store

[Awoisme]

Those in London need to get to GFT if you want a great deal. £10 bargain bin full of DE razors and razor handles. Mostly gold Merkur open combs, both HD and classic. A bargain, in a great store. I just had my first shave with a HD open comb and it rocks!

Happy hunting!

 

[sonny123]

Thank you very much.

have you joined the CONUK uk subgroup?

 

[pastafarian]

Thanks for the tip. I always wonder about the open comb razors, they look slightly more fragile so I've never tried one but some guys seem to love them so I may have to give one a go (especially if I am able to get one for £10). Have you tried a standard razor for comparison or only the open combed ones? I you have tried them both then could you offer any thoughts on the difference.

Oh, and I second the idea of joining the ConUK group if you haven't already.

Ps. I like the signature, I am a huge fan of Douglas Adams.

 

[Awoisme]

No worries- it's good to share the love.....

Haven't joined the CONUK group yet because frankly I don't know how!! I'm an Aussie over here on exchange, have only been here two months now. Any assistance in joining the group appreciated!

As for the open comb, I never really considered paying "real" money for one, but when I saw the bargain (particularly at GFT!) - why not? I've been DE shaving for about 6 months now, using postwar Gillettes (Fatboy, Slim, Aristocrat, SS, Rocket HD) and a Merkur Classic. After two shaves with the open comb, I'm pretty impressed- I'm showing it a fair bit of respect, as it just looks like it can bite.
My thoughts so far:

- the HD version certainly isn't fragile- looks like you'd have to be fairly careless to even bend any of the teeth. Damn good looking in the gold finish too.
- blade exposure seems much more intimidating than a "regular" razor
- it's a lot easier to clean up the neck with an open comb, but I'm not shaving as close around the chin and mouth (perhaps cause I'm a little timid!!)
- irritation seems to be minimal, shave quality is very good. This is probably because of the timidness, but also because it seems to leave a lot more lather on your face as the razor glides through it, as opposed to scooping it up

Overall, it's a less forgiving razor than I'm used to, but certainly worth the price, and a great excuse to try a new type of razor.

As for the signature- Douglas Adams, Stephen Fry, and Richard Dawkins....what would you have given to have a drink at the pub with those three great friends? Amazingly talented people!

Cheers

Andrew