Open comb vs closed comb

Hi there!

I was wondering.... I have read that open comb should be better for people with thick and hefty hair growth? Is that right? And what does it actually do?

I have really thick hair growth, and my thick hair on my neck lays perfectly alligned with my skin, so it is very hard to shave properly ATG without getting nicks.

As of now I have a Merkur 38C, and I'm looking into buying a 11C (open comb) or an adjustable to get a milder shave on my neck when going ATG.

I believe the 38C is a 3 on the agresiveness scale the Merkur ppl uses. (Atleast it says "3" on it)

So, would I notice anything different if I was shaving with an 11C over my closed comb 38c?

Is it better for coarse beards? I don't know. I got a better shave from them.

The open comb is a different model of razor, it looks nice, that's pretty much it. Unlike the slant where the blade is twisted, the open comb works like a closed comb.

Is it more aggressive? Depends what you are comparing it to and which Open comb we are talking about. There are mild and aggressive open comb.

Would the 11c shave differently than 38c? Yes, just like trying a new car, you won't get the same feeling from a brand to another.

One cool feature of the open comb, the blade will pick-up the lather, not the safety bar like a closed comb. If your angle is off, you will see teeth marks in the lather.

I have just purchased an open comb razor and it will be interesting to compare it to my closed comb ones when it arrives. One thing I have read is that an open comb razor is better at getting the awkward neck hairs, so that might help. If you're getting nicks, however, you might be using too much pressure or have the wrong angle. Have you tried the J-hook technique in Mantic's videos?

My first razor (purchased a month and a half ago) was the merkur 11c. subsequently i've gotten a gilette superspeed, which is supposed to be a milder shave in general.

honestly? i find the open comb 11c easier on my face. but maybe that's because i have to do less passes and less touchup.

haagiboy said:

I was wondering.... I have read that open comb should be better for people with thick and hefty hair growth? Is that right? And what does it actually do?

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The open comb style lets the blade get to the whiskers without a safety bar first pushing them down against the skin. If the whiskers are long, a safety bar may still be holding them down when the blade gets to them. As mentioned above it also does not plow away the lather just a millimeter or so in front of the blade.

So I am not sure that thick and hefty make as much difference as long. "Long" as in fast growing or as in skipping a day or two between shaves.

I recently bought the Merkur 15C which has the same head as the 11C. Personally I love it. I always had problems getting a decent shave towards the lower part of my neck until I bought this razor. I wish I would've went with the 11C for the thicker handle, but I can always use the fat handle from my Tech.

One day I plan on picking up an HD so then I'll have my thicker handle to use on both heads.

I picked up a used Gillette NEW on the B/S/T and have shaved with it daily for about 10 days. I was using an EJDE89L as my daily shaver. I don't know if the NEW is more or less aggressive than the Edwin Jagger, but I do know that I get much better shaves with it and I'm getting no irritation (I wasn't getting irritation with the EJ, either). Check out the B/S/T and see if you can find a used open comb and compare for yourself.

wulfgar1976 said:

If you're getting nicks, however, you might be using too much pressure or have the wrong angle. Have you tried the J-hook technique in Mantic's videos?

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If you are having a problem with too much pressure and the wrong angle the j-hook could spell disaster. Might want to have SWMBO on standby if you choose to attempt this.

I picked up a second hand Gillette (Canadian) open comb razor at a junk stall. Sterilised it, put in a brand new Murkur and proceeded to cut my face to ribbons.

I have no idea as to a scientific answer to your query. I can only say what works for me.

I have a thick beard and black hair that seems to grow every where I have skin!!

I have tried lots of DE razors (Gillette adjustables, Fatboys, the whole Mekur range etc etc). But the razor I keep going back to is

Cooncatbob Bull Mastiff with a new open comb head and a Personna blade.



Sweet as! .

Cheers

My 11C has become my daily shaver, and I get better shaves on my neck with it than I ever did with my superspeed.

dklaiman said:

I picked up a used Gillette NEW on the B/S/T and have shaved with it daily for about 10 days. I was using an EJDE89L as my daily shaver. I don't know if the NEW is more or less aggressive than the Edwin Jagger, but I do know that I get much better shaves with it and I'm getting no irritation (I wasn't getting irritation with the EJ, either). Check out the B/S/T and see if you can find a used open comb and compare for yourself.

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I also picked up a New (on ebay) and have been using it exclusively. i also really like it. Not too aggressive, but so far I think it outperforms my Merkur 38C.

i think my open comb gives me a great shave.
lots of my hairs lay flat on my face as well and its a lot easier to get those hairs.

and it feels the blade is a lot closer to the face. I need to be more careful in the mustache area or i will draw blood unlike my progress, red tip and slim

miner said:

Cooncatbob Bull Mastiff with a new open comb head and a Personna blade.

Sweet as! .

Cheers

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Agreed.

Mine is brass, though.

I find my open comb to be great when I have a 3 days growth of beard, and I'm a bit pressed for time.

I prefer an open comb to a closed comb. I feel that the open comb is more responsive. I can feel the bumps etc on my face and can feel it cutting more than a closed comb. Also I feel that the open comb may be slightly more aggressive, so as you gain experience, this may be the best for you. This is all my experiences and my opinion.

Check this thread:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=166939

Personally, open comb razors yield superior shaves.

I have settled, for the time being, on a Gillette New open comb. I think I have two of them for some reason. It seems about the same aggressiveness as my red tip. It gives great shaves, doesn't nick or burn my face (of course, that could be the Williams). I like it enough that I will eventually have it crome plated.

Just got an R41 this week and am undecided about it. It does give better blade feedback and have bit of 'bite' on the stubble.

First couple of shaves were poor, as in irritating, and not very close. This improved over the week, but it feels a lot milder than my HD. Which is not what I was after.

I've been planning to purchase an R41 so if you decide to get rid of yours perhaps we can strike a deal. feel free to email me at gophred@gmail dot com.
Regards,
Fred
New Jersey, USA