Open or closed comb for shaving legs?

[ferrous]

Hello, all. *waves hi*

What a massive forum, so full of information! So much info is awesome, but means that it's difficult to find an answer to my newbie question. (I did search, i promise!)

Can someone possibly give me advice on whether I should be getting an open or a closed comb DE razor? After getting the _only_ DE razor available at the Shaver Shop (a Comoy, no other information on the box), I've tried it on my legs three times now and have achieved a very nice close shave, only nicking myself once on my second shave. I have found, though, that the handle seems somewhat short for my purposes, so I'm looking on kineticblue.com.au for a long-handled razor. I've heard good things about Merker, so I'm looking at the 25C or the 23C.

The information on the site there says that the open comb is suited to tough, heavy, beards. Considering that I don't have a beard (even if i did have one, being a girl, I assume it wouldn't be tough and heavy .. ), I really don't know how a tough, heavy beard compares to leg hair. From my reading on the forum, so far, I see that some of the men use their DE razors to shave their lady's legs for them. You boys would know how the hair on a woman's legs compares to a beard, yes?

It also mentions that an open comb is better for a more experienced shaver. That, I definitely am not, but would a careful user still have success with an open comb razor?

So, to sum up, is an open comb razor overkill for my wanting it for shaving legs and underarms?

 

[ferrous]

Oh, and thanks in advance for your help. I feel a little overwhelmed with all the information, so I really appreciate all the kind advice I can get!

 

[brianw]

Lady shavers out there ???? Help needed.... Welcome to B&B, I'm sure one of the ladies will be along shortly

 

[johnmrson]

Hello. Good to see another Aussie on board. Although I have no experience shaving my legs, I think a closed comb would be better. I assume you're looking for quite a mild razor and alot of open combs are on the more aggressive side. A Lady Gillette, a Decoletee or a blue tip Superspeed would be my tips.

 

[DavyRay]

I'm always open to new and fun experiences, but so far have not shaved any legs at all.

We do have ladies on the forum. They will be along very soon, I'm sure. Just don't let them know that DavyRay is an amateur at leg-shaving. I would prefer they thought I was a pro.

 

[Lux_Aeternitas]

Hello, all. *waves hi*

What a massive forum, so full of information! So much info is awesome, but means that it's difficult to find an answer to my newbie question. (I did search, i promise!)

Can someone possibly give me advice on whether I should be getting an open or a closed comb DE razor? After getting the _only_ DE razor available at the Shaver Shop (a Comoy, no other information on the box), I've tried it on my legs three times now and have achieved a very nice close shave, only nicking myself once on my second shave. I have found, though, that the handle seems somewhat short for my purposes, so I'm looking on kineticblue.com.au for a long-handled razor. I've heard good things about Merker, so I'm looking at the 25C or the 23C.

The information on the site there says that the open comb is suited to tough, heavy, beards. Considering that I don't have a beard (even if i did have one, being a girl, I assume it wouldn't be tough and heavy .. ), I really don't know how a tough, heavy beard compares to leg hair. From my reading on the forum, so far, I see that some of the men use their DE razors to shave their lady's legs for them. You boys would know how the hair on a woman's legs compares to a beard, yes?

It also mentions that an open comb is better for a more experienced shaver. That, I definitely am not, but would a careful user still have success with an open comb razor?

So, to sum up, is an open comb razor overkill for my wanting it for shaving legs and underarms?

First let me say Welcome to B&B! Like you, I am also fairly new to wetshaving, and my boyfriend also introduced me to an open comb razor and I must say I feel amazing results after. If you are careful enough with your own razor I'd say it's a great investment to try an open comb out. I use it frequently in my razor rotation. So I'd say by all means try an open comb out, I find that it leaves a great shave. . Oh btw, feel free to join the Women Shavers group in the Social Groups. It's always nice to have another female wetshaver in our little club . So yeah, good luck on trying out an open comb and enjoy!

 

[Lux_Aeternitas]

Oh yay you already joined! Welcome once again!!

 

[ghostknife]

Hello, all. *waves hi*

From my reading on the forum, so far, I see that some of the men use their DE razors to shave their lady's legs for them. You boys would know how the hair on a woman's legs compares to a beard, yes?

It also mentions that an open comb is better for a more experienced shaver. That, I definitely am not, but would a careful user still have success with an open comb razor?

So, to sum up, is an open comb razor overkill for my wanting it for shaving legs and underarms?

Hi and welcome. As a former cyclist and having shaved my own legs once or twice I can say that for my own, my leg hair is nowhere near as coarse as my beard/face hair and my leg hair is pretty...well, hairy

I think an open comb is probably overkill but that doesn't mean theres no reason not to use one if you like it. If you're swishing it around in the shower or likely not to be taking your time I'd probably go closed just to be sure, don't want to have to be cleaning up a bloody mess before work or that important date night

 

[Umbranaut]

Welcome to B&B.

 

[Luc]

Welcome to B&B!

Open or closed comb, more a preference than anything. Just to say something different, I would go with the open comb. If your angle is off, you will see teeth marks in the lather. The close comb picks up the lather with the safety bar, so, if your angle is off, it just won't shave.

There's a page that was put together by the girls around here for shaving your legs: http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Leg_shaving

I'm unfamiliar with the Comoy DE razor from Shaver shop, I thought they only had the Premax (based on the old Muhle R89 open comb - very very very aggressive) or the Weishi (bottom is twist open)... Do you have a picture of the razor? I might have to go down the street to have a look, I'm curious about that one...

Other things that you might like.

Australian social group is located there: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/group.php?groupid=25
The Women shavers social group is here: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/group.php?groupid=88

If you are looking for shops and where to buy gear in Oz, have a look here: http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Australia_shaving_supplies

If you have any questions, don't be shy!

 

[mblakele]

Welcome to B&B!

 

[demaro]

Welcome to the group !! Wonderful to have you here with us !!

 

[ferrous]

Wow, so many replies! Thank you all so much for the warm welcome!

Thanks, also, for all the awesome feedback. It seems that personal preference comes into it a lot.

I'm unfamiliar with the Comoy DE razor from Shaver shop, I thought they only had the Premax (based on the old Muhle R89 open comb - very very very aggressive) or the Weishi (bottom is twist open)... Do you have a picture of the razor? I might have to go down the street to have a look, I'm curious about that one...

It was the _only_ safety razor they had at Chermside. Perhaps it varies from store to store. *shrugs*

Either way, it was a relatively cheap introduction to wet shaving (it was $23, IIRC, including 5 Dorco Platiunum ST300 blades), and it's given me an idea of what I _really_ need/want. I guess it's a bit like going through all those dud boyfriends in the past. LOL!

 

[gearchow]

My wife tried a closed comb Ladies Blue Gillette and she didn't like it. I caught flak over that one (from her and some folks here, I had tossed all her disposables).

She seems to prefer the injector style I gave her.

-jim

 

[kjparker]

Wow, so many replies! Thank you all so much for the warm welcome!

Thanks, also, for all the awesome feedback. It seems that personal preference comes into it a lot.



It was the _only_ safety razor they had at Chermside. Perhaps it varies from store to store. *shrugs*

Either way, it was a relatively cheap introduction to wet shaving (it was $23, IIRC, including 5 Dorco Platiunum ST300 blades), and it's given me an idea of what I _really_ need/want. I guess it's a bit like going through all those dud boyfriends in the past. LOL!

I sent you a pm...

Shy away from the dorco's... I can never get a good shave with them... even on SWMBO's legs on the odd occasion I shave them for her!

 

[_MementoMori_]

My wife uses a Lady Gillette with Derbys along with a Tweezerman brush and soap (Mama Bear's samples right now - courtesy of our own lovely Barber-Eile). She loves it and took to it immediately. It has an extra long handle which I think is important for leg shaving since you ladies need the extra reach.

 

[Slash McCoy]

If you like a longer handle, I might suggest a vintage Lady Gillette. You will know it by the blue stars. A nice shave with most blades. In fact a lot of men use them to shave with. Look in the BST (Buy/Sell/Trade) forum here. Also check on ebay. You should expect to pay between $5 and $25, depending on condition. More for a really really nice display quality one. Another option to consider is a vintage adjustable Gillette (a bit more expensive) or a new adjustable Merkur. I would gravitate toward the Gillette adjustable, myself.

An open comb is particularly good for plowing through a heavy growth of hair. If you were shaving "down there", you might want one. I would suggest not getting an OC razor just for your legs, because the full bar is preferable, to help stretch the skin ahead of the blade edge. In my opinion, the OC does not do this quite as well. The difference is pretty small and maybe not significant, but I believe it is there.

An adjustable can be set to your desired comfort/closeness level (The two qualities can be sort of a trade-off) and for the particular blade you are shaving with. A Personna you might want a FatBoy set at 5 or 6, but maybe with a Feather blade you might want to step it down to a 2 or 3, for instance. The smaller numbers are more forgiving. The higher numbers are more aggressive.

Not saying an OC is not for you... it really is a matter of personal preference. Just keep in mind the GENERAL characteristics of both types of DE razor and remember different models and different brands can behave differently. If you are satisfied with what you already have, maybe the thing to do is stick with it for a while. Or you could keep the razor and try different blades in it.

Underarms are tricky because it is difficult to stretch the skin properly. Slack skin is easily cut and easily irritated. Try what you got and if it's not working well for you, then try something else. I know that sounds kind of vague, but that's about the size of it. Everybody is different. I would recommend a gentle blade for the underarms and definitely not a Feather, though. But again, whatever works for YOU.

 

[Sydney Guy]

That Comoy is most likely a re-branded chinese Weishi Twist-To-Open (TTO) razor. Comoy is a brand name used by the Australian importer Baden P. Morris Pty Ltd. Here are reviews of the Weishi

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?ltr=W&t=8781

If you scroll halfway down the page, there's a photo that shows the Weishi's blue plastic case.

Assuming that your current razor is a Weishi, it's supposed to be a very mild razor, but getting the correct angle is critical, hence the widely varying reviews. Before buying another razor, try using different blades. Shavershop sell Astra Superior Platinums for $5 for a 5-pack, not a great price but a good blade and much better than Merkurs or Wilkinsons @ $12.50 for 10 at Coles & Woollies. Or order a sample pack from Mensbiz or KB and try different brands.

We Aussies generally hang out on the Great Southern Land social group http://badgerandblade.com/vb/group.php?groupid=25

 

[ferrous]

That Comoy is most likely a re-branded chinese Weishi Twist-To-Open (TTO) razor. Comoy is a brand name used by the Australian importer Baden P. Morris Pty Ltd. Here are reviews of the Weishi

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?ltr=W&t=8781

If you scroll halfway down the page, there's a photo that shows the Weishi's blue plastic case.

Assuming that your current razor is a Weishi, it's supposed to be a very mild razor, but getting the correct angle is critical, hence the widely varying reviews. Before buying another razor, try using different blades. Shavershop sell Astra Superior Platinums for $5 for a 5-pack, not a great price but a good blade and much better than Merkurs or Wilkinsons @ $12.50 for 10 at Coles & Woollies. Or order a sample pack from Mensbiz or KB and try different brands.

Yup, that's the one! Some of the reviews written there ring true with my limited experience of it, too. I noticed that the TTO part seems to move very easily when it's not at its tightest. When it is at its tightest, it didn't give a very smooth shave, but loosening it meant being very careful about where I held it so it didn't become looser while in use. With this in mind, I'm leaning towards an adjustable razor.

 

[Luc]

That Comoy is most likely a re-branded chinese Weishi Twist-To-Open (TTO) razor. Comoy is a brand name used by the Australian importer Baden P. Morris Pty Ltd. Here are reviews of the Weishi

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?ltr=W&t=8781

If you scroll halfway down the page, there's a photo that shows the Weishi's blue plastic case.

Assuming that your current razor is a Weishi, it's supposed to be a very mild razor, but getting the correct angle is critical, hence the widely varying reviews. Before buying another razor, try using different blades. Shavershop sell Astra Superior Platinums for $5 for a 5-pack, not a great price but a good blade and much better than Merkurs or Wilkinsons @ $12.50 for 10 at Coles & Woollies. Or order a sample pack from Mensbiz or KB and try different brands.

We Aussies generally hang out on the Great Southern Land social group http://badgerandblade.com/vb/group.php?groupid=25

That's what I thought...

All good!

Mensbiz or KineticBlue will have a better selection for the blades.