What do OC razors really do?

[LAPlatypus]

I'm a little confused as to what open comb razors actually do. Do they REALLY allow you to cut longer growth easier? Do they really allow more soap to stay on the skin and thus create more slickness or cushion? Do they just allow the blade to get closed to the skin thus resulting in a more "aggressive" or "efficient" shave? Or do they do all of the above?

I ask because with a lot of stuff in the shaving world it seems that everything is based on personal perception and not necessarily on any kind of reproducible science or something like that.

I also tend to go quite a few days between shaves because the skin on my neck demands it so if an OC truly makes it easier to mow through 4 or 5 days of growth without tugging and other irritation then I would be intrigued.

Let the YMMVathon begin...

 

[Cal]

Do they REALLY allow you to cut longer growth easier?

Usually, yes.

Do they really allow more soap to stay on the skin and thus create more slickness or cushion?

Yes, between the teeth... whereas a Safety Bar will wipe all the lather off in front of the blade.

Do they just allow the blade to get closer to the skin thus resulting in a more "aggressive" or "efficient" shave?

Some do, some don't. It all depends on the individual razor's design. There are probably as many "mild" OCs as there are "aggressive" ones.

I also tend to go quite a few days between shaves because the skin on my neck demands it so if an OC truly makes it easier to mow through 4 or 5 days of growth without tugging and other irritation then I would be intrigued.

You need an OC.

 

[Lightcs1776]

Cal gave a great answer. Personally, I find open combs tend to give an excellent shave. I had a Fatip that was very economical that could be a great way to try one out (though there have been alignment issues with some), or check out the BST section as you may find something for sale by a member from time to time.

 

[Medivh]

The guard of the razor has very little to do with the efficiency or aggression and for the most part is a personal preference. I own some quite mild, but comfortable open comb razors and very aggressive, but not the most comfortable solid bar razors and vice versa - very smooth and comfortable closed bar razors and very prickly/toothy and uncomfortable open comb razors.

The only way to know for sure is to try them for yourself.

 

[Old School TSD]

I think most people believe Gillette went away from OC due to warranty claims or complaints due to bent teeth from dropping and/or tapping the razor out in the sink.
You need one if only because they look gnarly . IMO YMMV!

 

[emwolf]

I really like an OC for multiple days growth. It's much easier to mow down even with a mild OC. I have plenty of solid bar razors that are much more aggressive than any of my OC razors, though. Personally, nothing has the Gillette NEW beat as far as the OC razor goes.

 

[saj]

Usually, yes.

Yes, between the teeth... whereas a Safety Bar will wipe all the lather off in front of the blade.

Some do, some don't. It all depends on the individual razor's design. There are probably as many "mild" OCs as there are "aggressive" ones.

You need an OC.

View attachment 1415159

Is that the modded handle for the fatip that you once did a Pif for ages ago? Looks lovely

 

[saj]

I'm a little confused as to what open comb razors actually do. Do they REALLY allow you to cut longer growth easier? Do they really allow more soap to stay on the skin and thus create more slickness or cushion? Do they just allow the blade to get closed to the skin thus resulting in a more "aggressive" or "efficient" shave? Or do they do all of the above?

I ask because with a lot of stuff in the shaving world it seems that everything is based on personal perception and not necessarily on any kind of reproducible science or something like that.

I also tend to go quite a few days between shaves because the skin on my neck demands it so if an OC truly makes it easier to mow through 4 or 5 days of growth without tugging and other irritation then I would be intrigued.

Let the YMMVathon begin...

Maybe consider getting a hybrid if you don't already have one

By hybrid I mean one side open comb and the other side safety bar

 

[blitz11]

Does an OC allow the blade get closer to the skin?

Yes but as Cal said, it depends on the design. A SB depresses all the skin the blade passes over uniformly. An OC only does so where each tooth makes contact with the skin so some skin/hair will be closer to the blade. A good example is the RR Game Changer JAWS vs the OC. The Jaws has fewer teeth and, as a result, shaves closer than the OC.

Does an OC allow more soap to stay on the skin? Yes an OC will allow more soap to pass through the teeth vs a safety bar but I don't think it makes a material difference. Slickness is not going to change much in the time it takes the guard vs the blade to pass over an area. One of the more ridiulous claims you will see on the fora is that the cap on something like the PAA DOC helps more soap stay on your skin. If you are shaving properly then the blade removes almost all of the soap. The cap on the DOC is purely aesthetic.

 

[Cal]

Is that the modded handle for the fatip that you once did a Pif for ages ago? Looks lovely

Thank you, but no. That PIF was PIFd.

But I do have two GT Handles (which the PIFd handle was based on). One all aluminum with M5 x 0.8mm standard thread, and one aluminum with aluminum bronze nose and tail pieces which has the Fatip M4.5 x 0.75mm thread.

 

[Cal]

Maybe consider getting a hybrid if you don't already have one

By hybrid I mean one side open comb and the other side safety bar

More commonly known as dual-comb or DC.

 

[BSawhill]

What do OC razors really do? They make sweet shaving magic happen on your face. In all seriousness, OC razors give great shaves and tend to leave more residual lather on the face. They can be either mild or aggressive and just like a safety bar razor need time to find the right angle. Give it a go and try a couple of different ones. New ones, Schone/Fatip can be had for $20-$30. Vintage can be had for around the same price on a popular online bidding site.

 

[LMcC]

The Merkur open comb is an inexpensive, mild, oc that tackles longer whiskers well in my experience.

 

[saj]

Thank you, but no. That PIF was PIFd.

But I do have two GT Handles (which the PIFd handle was based on). One all aluminum with M5 x 0.8mm standard thread, and one aluminum with aluminum bronze nose and tail pieces which has the Fatip M4.5 x 0.75mm thread.
View attachment 1415286

Yea just remember that handle being pif'd

 

[JTD41144]

For me, the main advantage of the open comb--slight as it is--is that OCs allow some of the lather to pass through, thereby clogging less quickly than a solid bar razor and requiring the user to rinse the razor slightly less frequently.

 

[Seelector]

I have a Karve with an open comb B plate and a safety bar B plate. Both have the same blade gap and exposure, and I can absolutely feel the difference between them.

The open comb does a better job cutting through 48-hour growth, has more blade feel, and results in a closer shave (I have to admit this could just be in my mind) at the expense of a slightly higher possibility of irritation. It's my go-to plate; I typically use the safety bar plate only if my face is feeling irritated.

Do they REALLY allow you to cut longer growth easier? Do they really allow more soap to stay on the skin and thus create more slickness or cushion? Do they just allow the blade to get closed to the skin thus resulting in a more "aggressive" or "efficient" shave? Or do they do all of the above?

Yes, Yes, and Yes. Get an OC, you won't be disappointed.

 

[SCh5]

I own just two razors (after buying,using and selling x10 more ) : The solid bar RR Lupo .95 and the RR Game Changer OC .84

Efficiency-wise they are almost of equal level.

The GC OC .84 NEVER clogs and is far easier and quicker to rinse clean .

I use it when I want to shave over 3-4 days worth of stubble .
The solid bar Lupo .95 is somewhat more aggressive,a tad more efficient and is used
for under 72h stubble .

Open comb razors are used
primarily for long stubble growth.They do not clog .

 

[Jer78]

Indeed. 3 days or more, open comb. 2 or less, solid bar

What is your favorite solid bar razor? Maybe we can recommend an OC based on that and a price range. JM

 

[Brutus]

I'm a little confused as to what open comb razors actually do. Do they REALLY allow you to cut longer growth easier? Do they really allow more soap to stay on the skin and thus create more slickness or cushion? Do they just allow the blade to get closed to the skin thus resulting in a more "aggressive" or "efficient" shave? Or do they do all of the above?

I ask because with a lot of stuff in the shaving world it seems that everything is based on personal perception and not necessarily on any kind of reproducible science or something like that.

I have a Tatararazors Masamune Nodachi safety razor that came with both an open comb and closed comb head and both heads have identical blade gap and blade exposure.

For all practical purposes their shaves are identical.

In fact, having used a Mühle open comb for a long time as my go-to safety razor, I prefer at the moment the Nodachi with the closed comb head.

I have come to the conclusion that an open comb head makes little difference except routing the lather differently. That open comb razors have a reputation for efficiency and aggressiveness stems from the fact that they often have a more aggressive blade gap and blade exposure than their closed comb brethren.
Once these become identical, the results become near identical.

If I had to shave off a full grown beard, an open comb might work better than a closed comb, but in that case I would rather use one of my straight razors anyway.

Some people may be convinced that open comb razor work better just because of the open comb design, but my experience tells me that it is more a function of blade gap and blade exposure.


B.

 

[thombrogan]

Open comb razors are made for diverting my money away from high end synthetic shaving brushes and I find them insidious for that reason.