Open Comb Razor Vs Straight Razor

[Latherati]

Hello,

This is a question for those of you that use both an open comb razor and a straight razor regularly or who have experience using both.

How do open comb razors and straight razors compare both in efficiency and closeness? Do open comb razors achieve the same level of closeness and efficiency as straight razors? I have never used either. I only have experience with double edge closed comb razors. Thank you for your insight!

 

[ShaverAZ]

I have numerous open comb razors, from Gillette Old Types, to New Long and Short combs. I even have a Sheraton. All shave close without irritation. I also have several straights, both new and vintage. Grandpa taught me how to hone a blade when i was 12 years old. I've got Great Grandfather's stones, and a couple of Grandpa's razors, and have used them extensively in the past 4+ decades. A well honed & stropped quality razor will give you a close shave, but it still can't match a double edged razor for closeness.
Don't equate an open comb razor with an aggressive performance. It compares closer to a closed comb than a straight razor. The open comb teeth play an important role in distributing lather and not in making a razor necessarily more efficient or aggressive.
I also have a Maggard V2, and it's no more aggressive than any of my vintage Gillette Techs.

Overall, finding the brand of blade that best suits you is important in optimizing a shave with any razor.

For me, my 1917 Gillette old Type gives me the easiest BBS shave with numerous blades, including BiC, Voskhod, GSB, and a few others. My 1940 Super Speed does equally well, as do any of my Techs, especially pre-war fat handles.

Occasionally, I'll spend a week or so shaving with one of my favorite straight razors. It helps to remind me how much easier it is to get a smooth 12 hour shave with a DE razor.

 

[Seveneighth]

For 30 years I alternated between an old Big Ben open comb that I "borrowed" off my Dad and a pair of Sheffield straights my Grandad gave me. I guess over that time I never thought much about the difference too much. They were just ways of removing hair.

These days, thanks to the forums, I have upped my game by investing in better kit - e.g. ATT open combs (lovely), Omega brushes, good soaps and taught myself to hone. I have also modified my shaving technique.

I get a much much better shave from any method but the straights have moved ahead of other razors now:

More comfortable
Fewer passes
Slower grow back
Less irritation

I am not sure an open comb necessarily defines the shaving experience. Generally I think they have a wider range of shaving angle than a solid bar - even then, there are SBs that are as flexible.

 

[Esox]

I've referred to my Fatip Grande as a "straight with a training wheel" several times. The cap would be the training wheel when used with a shallow angle. It has enough blade exposure to allow the blades edge to equate to a common straight razors angle of use.

Think of the red line below as the angle of edge to skin, very shallow, which is where I most often use it. All pressure applied is to the cap between the green lines. Hence, the cap is the "training wheel" and closeness of shave is dictated by pressure applied.

Most GEM razors, incidentally, are designed to be used at that very angle. With the caps flat against the skin.

Closeness and efficiency compared to a properly honed to straight, with a steel and blade type and design of your preference, I cant really speak to as I've only used a straight for a single shave and it certainly wasnt up to my personal needs, even though it tree topped arm hair with barely a hint of tug, I could barely shave with it.

Tomorrow, maybe, if I think I'm on my toes enough.

The old Boker is shave ready. It will easily tree top arm hair with just a hint of tug. Each hair falls neatly and cleanly on the blade 1/4" above my skin.

The Henkle wont tree top, but shaves the hair from my arm easily.

The Boker is a very nice blade.

Boker Straight.

Midnight & Two The Coast

Maggard synthetic.

50 hours since last shave.

I loaded my brush and face lathered. This soap is going to take some dialing in so I wont go into it too deeply yet.

Three swipes over my right cheek WTG with the Boker and all was well. No blood, very slight tugging. Repeat left side and no issues. My confidence was rising lol. As soon as I got to my jawline and trying to shave under it XTG the razor stopped. Line up again and shave with a bit more confidence and tugging. A, lot, of, tugging.

I played with angles and the only time it wouldnt tug was with the blade nearly 90° to my skin. It shaved though, smoothly and loudly if not closely.

I did all of the first pass with it except around my chin and upper lip, mostly steep to limit the tugging and had a mediocre first pass. Just by chance, my Single Ring happened to have a fresh Yellow loaded in it so thats what I finished with.

Damn nice shave too I might add.

This Boker may treetop my arm hair but my whiskers and arm hair are apparently very different lol.

Using my Fatip Grande however, with either a Polsilver or Gillette Yellow blade, will allow me to shave in complete comfort buffing directly ATG at up to almost 80 hours growth. I used a single Polsilver blade in my Grande for that same shave through 20 shaves without issue.

The MMOC is a different animal. At even 100 hours growth, its amazingly easy for me.

MMOC/PTFE for its 4th shave.

WK.

Maggard Synthetic.

~100 hours since last shave. I dont think it would matter if it was around 200 hours.

Single buffing pass ATG. One clean up. The MMOC is all business and this was business as usual.

Nice comfy BBS. What more could be asked for.

I do believe however, that if one was to put enough time into picking the right blade, steel, grind and honed edge, a straight with an edge tailored to you will surpass any DE or SE razor.

@Chan Eil Whiskers may be able to offer some advice there. I believe his most comfortable shaves have been with a straight honed by him to his level of expectancy, until lately at least.

 

[RayClem]

I have a collection of straight razors, DE razors (open comb and solid bar) and a couple of SE razors. I can get very close, irritation free shaves with any of them as long as my overall technique is good. It is very much a matter of preference. I enjoy switching between the various tools; I routinely do a four-pass shave and often use a different razor for each pass.

 

[EclipseRedRing]

I am guessing by your question that you think that open comb razors are by definition more aggressive than closed comb razors. Opinions vary but in my view that is completely false. Both open and closed comb razors may be aggressive or mild, and they are in fact very similar to each other and nothing like a straight razor. If you can use a closed comb razor then you can use an open comb with zero change in preparation or technique. Somehow the irrational fear exists for some that any open comb razor is in some way super aggressive, and it is utter nonsense. Any razor, open or closed comb, can be mild or aggressive but it is due to blade exposure, blade gap, and other factors but not their open or closed comb design. By contrast, using a straight will require a totally different technique and a lot of time and practice.

 

[romsitsa]

Hello, a straight razor glides on your skin, so it's the closest one can get. Without skin streching a combed head will be less effective than a safety bar or a straight. Usually bar razors have wider spans than open combs (more forgiving), but there are exceptions.
It also heavily depends on the blade, so there is not a definitive answer.

Adam

 

[BigJ]

For me the main difference between straights and DE (OC or CC) is that straights take more time and effort for me to maintain. With top-notch kit, my shaves are about the same.

 

[Latherati]

Thank you everyone for helping me understand open comb razors and straight razors better.

@EclipseRedRing so if I am understanding you correctly, the difference in open comb vs closed comb is only preference of the style you like better? For example a Timeless solid bar razor will give a similar shave as the Timeless open comb?

 

[EclipseRedRing]

Thank you everyone for helping me understand open comb razors and straight razors better.

@EclipseRedRing so if I am understanding you correctly, the difference in open comb vs closed comb is only preference of the style you like better? For example a Timeless solid bar razor will give a similar shave as the Timeless open comb?

I have never used a Timeless so cannot comment, they may well give different shaves, but there is no difference in the technique required to use either. If you can use one then you can use the other. One may be more aggressive than the other or they may be the same but, in my opinion, any difference will not be due to them being open or closed comb. In a nutshell, open comb razors are nothing to be afraid of, it is just a matter of personal preference.

 

[Latherati]

@EclipseRedRing Thank you so much for taking the time to share your knowledge. Every day I appreciate this community more and more!

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I do believe however, that if one was to put enough time into picking the right blade, steel, grind and honed edge, a straight with an edge tailored to you will surpass any DE or SE razor.

@Chan Eil Whiskers may be able to offer some advice there. I believe his most comfortable shaves have been with a straight honed by him to his level of expectancy, until lately at least.

Mike @Esox, I certainly can't say that another guy's straight razor's edge doesn't surpass mine nor can I do anything more than report my experience.

For a long time it was my conclusion that my straight razor shaves might not be as close as my best safety razor shaves but the SR shaves were so much more comfortable. Straights were my go to razors. I wasn't using the safety razors at all because for me comfort is the #1 objective.

During that time period I knew I wasn't going to buy any more safety razors with one exception. I was always planning to buy the long awaited and almost mythical Fatip Slant if and when it ever hit the market. Of course, that meant I was going to shave at least once with the Fatip Slant if I got my hands on one.

I bought both Fatip slants, the OC and the CC. Shaved first with the OC (a few times) and then once with the CC. My CC then was sent on a road trip so a friend could try it; his year long restraint prohibits him from buying it; I wanted to give him that opportunity. I didn't really need the CC.

Going into my trial of the Fatip Open Comb Slant I planned to shave with it a few times and return to the straight.

It displaces and replaces all my other razors.

I have a whole lot of razors - double edged, single edged, a few other slants, a bunch of injectors, modern razors & vintage razors, many straight razors - but I'm shaving with only one razor.

The Fatip Open Comb Slant is that good! It is very efficient. It's easy to shave with (steep angle please). It is not at all prone to biting me. It allows me to easily buff areas needing buffing (soul patch, lips). Every shave is close, but what about comfort?

My standards for a Damn Comfortable Shave are very high.

• The shave must be comfortable during the shave.
• The shave must be comfortable immediately after the shave.
• The shave must be comfortable until the next shave.

The FOCS delivers a consistent Damn Comfortable Shave.

The more people who buy and use the FOCS the more people who see and say much the same thing about it.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[alla2465]

SR give me the closet shaves with ease.
Open combs dont give me a closer shave than any other DE's they just mow down multiple days of growth easier, but they are just as close as other DE's when the shave is over.

 

[RayClem]

Many people believe open comb razors are more efficient than solid bar. For that reason, I often use a moderately aggressive open comb razor for my first pass, especially if I have more than one day's growth. However, the face feel of an open comb may be too much for an against the grain pass, so I typically use a solid bar razor for that pass. That way I can take better advantage of the differences in design.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Many people believe open comb razors are more efficient than solid bar. For that reason, I often use a moderately aggressive open comb razor for my first pass, especially if I have more than one day's growth. However, the face feel of an open comb may be too much for an against the grain pass, so I typically use a solid bar razor for that pass. That way I can take better advantage of the differences in design.

I don't find that to be the case at all with the Fatip OC Slant, but otherwise I know what you mean.

 

[Balthier]

how would the fatip OC slant be more comfortable than a regular OC fatip, it would just be more efficient wouldn't it? Never used a straight, but used SE's which are more thicker and rigid than DE. I would imagine how thick the straight is would make a world of difference in comfort although an OC might be as efficient.

 

[Demaratus]

how would the fatip OC slant be more comfortable than a regular OC fatip, it would just be more efficient wouldn't it? Never used a straight, but used SE's which are more thicker and rigid than DE. I would imagine how thick the straight is would make a world of difference in comfort although an OC might be as efficient.

Blade is locked down tighter and has more flex on it so it doesn’t move around as much.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Balthier]

Blade is locked down tighter and has more flex on it so it doesn’t move around as much.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh really interesting I thought my grande OC fatip was quite tight already.

 

[Esox]

I would imagine how thick the straight is would make a world of difference in comfort although an OC might be as efficient.

I think what separates a straight razor from any other type is the grind. There are many different grinds that would give many different shaves. Finding the best match for any individual user and how they like and want to shave would be the difficult part.

how would the fatip OC slant be more comfortable than a regular OC fatip, it would just be more efficient wouldn't it? Never used a straight, but used SE's which are more thicker and rigid than DE. I would imagine how thick the straight is would make a world of difference in comfort although an OC might be as efficient.

Fatips have a very rigid design. They also have generous blade exposure and very little blade gap, but they do have some.

Even with that small amount of blade gap, if I use a steep angle over the swirl growth patterns on my neck, the very edge can flex and tug. If I shave slowly enough I can even hear a tiny 'ping' as the blades edge springs back into shape after it cuts a hair.

I think, with the torqued blade of a slant even that little amount of flex in the very edge will be eliminated because the twisted blade will increase the rigidity of the blades edge. I believe this a key reason those that use the new Fatip slant find it so smooth.

As soon as they start distributing gold slants I'll find out if my theory holds water.

 

[BigJ]

Mike @Esox, I certainly can't say that another guy's straight razor's edge doesn't surpass mine nor can I do anything more than report my experience.

For a long time it was my conclusion that my straight razor shaves might not be as close as my best safety razor shaves but the SR shaves were so much more comfortable. Straights were my go to razors. I wasn't using the safety razors at all because for me comfort is the #1 objective.


View attachment 1118523


During that time period I knew I wasn't going to buy any more safety razors with one exception. I was always planning to buy the long awaited and almost mythical Fatip Slant if and when it ever hit the market. Of course, that meant I was going to shave at least once with the Fatip Slant if I got my hands on one.

I bought both Fatip slants, the OC and the CC. Shaved first with the OC (a few times) and then once with the CC. My CC then was sent on a road trip so a friend could try it; his year long restraint prohibits him from buying it; I wanted to give him that opportunity. I didn't really need the CC.

Going into my trial of the Fatip Open Comb Slant I planned to shave with it a few times and return to the straight.


View attachment 1118524


It displaces and replaces all my other razors.

I have a whole lot of razors - double edged, single edged, a few other slants, a bunch of injectors, modern razors & vintage razors, many straight razors - but I'm shaving with only one razor.

The Fatip Open Comb Slant is that good! It is very efficient. It's easy to shave with (steep angle please). It is not at all prone to biting me. It allows me to easily buff areas needing buffing (soul patch, lips). Every shave is close, but what about comfort?

My standards for a Damn Comfortable Shave are very high.

• The shave must be comfortable during the shave.
• The shave must be comfortable immediately after the shave.
• The shave must be comfortable until the next shave.

The FOCS delivers a consistent Damn Comfortable Shave.

The more people who buy and use the FOCS the more people who see and say much the same thing about it.

Happy shaves,

Jim

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Keeping an open mind and ‘trying just one more’ can pay huge dividends!!