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Traveling OC - Try Before You Buy

Yeah, I'm worried about the time as well, but I also don't want people to feel rushed. What would you think about 3 or 4 days per razor?
 
Allen, I would think that 2 weeks, or 15 days max would work. 5 days with each razor seems enough to me. Again though, this is just a suggestion from me and is in no way a directive. You and the next few participants should ultimately make the final decision.

Will some of you on the list please chime in and help nail this timeframe down? Please? It can also be adjusted once several people have spent time with the razors and there is a better idea of what time frame works best.

I mailed the NEW LC to tzra today. I need to PM him the tracking #mig should arrive mid week next week.
 
I would have to agree that I feel 14 days would be plenty of time to get to know them a little. I'd spend 3 days on each one then pick my favorite and finish out the last 5 day with it.
 
I'd like to add my name to the list with your permission. I am two weeks away from the 45 day entry time, but it looks like there are a few people ahead of me. I have more than the required 50 posts.
I currently have a Weber PH, older Tech, Fat Boy and Slim. I was thinking someday of treating myself to a Tradere or ATT but was undecided if the SB or OC was for me. This would be a great opportunity to try an open comb design. Thank you!
 
The LC NEW arrived the other day, and so did a box of Astra SPs. It only seemed fitting to try them together. The morning schedule left me a bit rushed, and I paid for it on the neck with a few weepers without good prep. But those excluded, it was a fantastic shave. It took me quite a while to get comfortable with the OT, but the NEW angle is much more like the SS and Slim. I'd consider the NEW to be a great fit for me. and deserving a spot in the den.

I've already got the OT and Merkur cleaned and sanitized, and the box has been here for long enough. So I'm going to give the NEW one more shave, a cleaning, and send the box on the way this week.
 
Here is the amended rules and current list as of 09 February 2014. Again, if there are any issues or questions please feel free to discuss in the thread or PM me.

Rules
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  1. The Band of Traveling Open Combs (hereafter call the BoTOC) is open to anyone who wishes to try an open comb razor. The only disqualification is if you own every brand and model of Open Combs that are currently in the BoTOC.
  2. To participate in the BoTOC, you must meet the qualifications to sell items on B/S/T -- 45 days a member and 50 posts. Note that qualifications may be waived for members with significant post counts or length of membership.
  3. Participation is for CONUS members only - to keep costs down and the BoTOC moving along.
  4. Post in this thread that you would like to try the current BoTOC. Note that even if you have tried the BoTOC before, you can try them again.
  5. The BoTOC Manager (currently OKAllen) will periodically put together a consolidated list in a single post.
  6. When contacted by the current BoTOC host, provide your address. If you are going to be out of town or not able to honor your commitment to the BoTOC, direct the current host to skip you (for now) and contact the BoTOC manager (via PM) to have them move you a more suitable position.
  7. When the BoTOC arrives in your shaving den, PM the manager to let me know it has arrived.
  8. Clean and sanitize the razors that you are interested in trying out. You do not have to try every razor in the band.
  9. Shave with your selected razors for no more than ten (10) days. The quicker you can fully experience the BoTOC and move it along to the next person, the better. The BoTOC get restless if they stay in one place too long.
  10. When you are done hosting the BoTOC, PM the next person in the list to get their address.
  11. Clean and santitize the razors (again) and ship them (at your cost) to the next person on the list. PM the BoTOC manager when you ship the BoTOC to the next person.
  12. Please post your experience with the razors in this thread. Tell us how you felt about the BoTOC razors that you sampled. Plans on acquiring an Open Comb in the future?
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List
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  1. imatabor
  2. hudson_macbeth
  3. Bman437
  4. Galaktus
  5. captaincaveman
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Expressed Interest but not Qualified
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  1. WaterDog67
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Sorry that I'm not going to participate, but you've motivated me to give my New SC a go. It's been staring at me while I work through my blade sampler. I've been using a Tech Ball End and wondering what the SC experience would be like. It'll be interesting to hear other's experiences with this SC and compare them with my own.

Thanks for starting this thread.
 
It's been staring at me while I work through my blade sampler.

I took a break from my blade sampler during the OC trials at my house. I'm back on the sampler with my EJ89 and then redo my sampler with the NEW. And then my slim. By then I'll probably have more to try out :)
 
The pass-a-round currently resides with trza. He was finishing up with the NEW. He should probably be asking for your address fairly soon.
 
Box is well packed and living in the shipping room at work. It should be on the way to imatabor no later than tomorrow. I set up the materials for easy re-use and choice of shipping company in the future. I also threw in some golf tees and a pack of Astra SPs - I figure they'll eventually find somebody who can make use of them.

EDIT: Sent tracking number to imatabor. Estimated delivery: Feb 19.
 
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Trza,

Thanks for your consideration for the packing materials, the pifs and taking the time to bring the NEW info the fold.

What's your thoughts on the various OCs? Favorite?
 
Trza,

Thanks for your consideration for the packing materials, the pifs and taking the time to bring the NEW info the fold.

What's your thoughts on the various OCs? Favorite?

I really just held on to the OT and the Merkur until the NEW arrived and I shaved with it a bit. Jeff_H deserves all the credit for the NEW's inclusion.

All the OCs tended to do a better job on heavy stubble than the safety bar razors. I also found them to be slightly less precise when it comes to getting close edges around the facial hair you may want to keep...although I did get better at this over time.

The Merkur was just too mild for me overall. It wouldn't make a bad razor for days when I had a bad sunburn and I had to knock down the stubble while the skin healed. It would also make a good beginner razor if anybody felt fear of DE shaving. I think the thicker the beard, the less effective the Merkur becomes.

I got pretty proficient with the Old Type. The shaving angle is different than the newer vintage gillettes, and if I wasn't consistent I paid a price. My last shave with a SuperSpeed seemed to have benefitted by the lesson taught here. I found it really difficult to use for an ATG pass and never really figured out why. At the end I could get a really nice DFS without problem, but the ATG was pushing it. I thought it shaved well with a Derby Extra, which tamed the razor a bit. Although it was still only a 2 shave blade.

The NEW was much easier for me to use. It offers more angle variability than the OT, and a similar shaving angle to my Super Speeds and Slim. It was my favorite, overall, and I would consider adding one

If I had a chance to do it better, I'd have some more blades available to see what the ultimate combo happened to be. Maybe take my favorite 4 blades, and run them through each razor 1 time. Or 3 blades with a "playoff" system. Only thing I have more than 2 of are GSBs, so that's what I went with almost all the time.

Thanks again for the opportunity, everbody.
 
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