Open Comb vs Closed Comb?

Would anyone like to take a minute and explain to a relative Newbie the difference in Open and Closed Comb? I am looking to buy a second razor and have found a "Muhle R89 Closed Comb". The razor I have owned since I started this DE shaving ride in December is the EJ89. I have no idea if what I have is open or closed.

I've gained a lot of confidence with my technique(thanks to B&B posts) and nicks and cuts are rare. Not afraid to try something different...but is the Muhle just a more expensive version of what I already have?

Appreciate any advice.

Open combed razors are said to be more aggressive. I don't really know as I've never owned one, but that's what people say.

The Muhle has the exact same head as your EJ, and btw, they're more expensive only in the US, in Europe they cost the same.

Difference between OC and SB ... if you're talking about aggressiveness, it has nothing to do with combs or safety bars. There's both mild and aggressive examples of the two designs. Different head geometry, blade exposure, etc that's what will influence the aggressiveness.

Most people (myself included) do believe OC razors leave a bit more lather behind and that usually means a smoother shave. But again, it mostly depends on the head geometry, there's some pretty smooth and efficient SB razors, too.

I had the same question when I started, there are many threads that cover this topic well. I would go through several of them, that way you'll get different perspectives.

Different design and appearance is all.

There is no correlation between either design and the mildness or aggressiveness of the razor.

Sort of a "what ever floats your boat" kind of thing.

I happen to like the little track marks an open comb can make. For me, the old ones seem to represent something more nostalgic than a normal safety bar. Shavewise, I would not be able to tell the difference in the result.

I have a couple of each type and the difference I have found is that if I go an extra day or two without shaving, I get a more comfortable shave with an open comb. I find they don't pull the longer whiskers, and don't have the tendency to 'float' over them that a closed comb does.

Not sure on a Muhle but here are some examples of Gems.




From the left closed comb, open comb in the middle, and a safety bar on the right.

Usually they are referring to whether the teeth are connected or not.

Hope this helps.

Your EJ is a closed comb design. An open comb razor has "teeth" on the lower portion under where the blade is, instead of a straight bar. While I agree that it's mostly about cosmetics, I am a big fan of the vintage Gillette NEW razor, which is an open comb. For me, it's the smoothest shaver I've found.

Thanks, everyone. Can't imagine a world without B&B Forums!

I have a 1908 Gillette open comb I'm tempted to try out just to say I did. Never done OC before.

I have a Gillette NEW, and an Old Type, both open comb. They are smooth shavers because the blade gap is fairly shallow, like .28 inch.
My Razorock Mission is closed comb, very similar to your EJ DE 89. It is more aggressive than my open comb razors because the blade gap is about .48 inch.
I really can't say I notice any difference while shaving, so it all comes down to aesthetics.

phillysco said:

I have a Gillette NEW, and an Old Type, both open comb. They are smooth shavers because the blade gap is fairly shallow, like .28 inch.
My Razorock Mission is closed comb, very similar to your EJ DE 89. It is more aggressive than my open comb razors because the blade gap is about .48 inch.
I really can't say I notice any difference while shaving, so it all comes down to aesthetics.

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The blade gap is almost half of an inch?! I think I'm misunderstanding, but if not, holy cow

phillysco....you're killing me with the soft pretzel avatar!! Grew up on the Main Line, and I always say "if I could get a good soft pretzel and some Amoroso rolls in Houston, my life would be complete"

As far as open comb razors are concerned....I love mine...I use both open comb and bar razors, but I prefer my Gillette NEW long combs over any of my razors...they just suit me the best. I've found I can get a great shave with just about any of my razors, but the NEW lc's are just so darn nice!!

I prefer the look of OCs to SBs, but have never found a dramatic difference in the way they shave. There are mild, medium, and aggressive examples of both. My advice (not that you asked for it ): try lots of different razors until you find the one(s) that suit you best. You can talk all you want about these things—and lord knows we do that here—but there's no substitute for real-life experience. Sure you can accumulate razors that way, but there's always B/S/T. Enjoy the ride!

:groan: The answer is, yes. The two are the same design cutting head.

First, the Mühle R89 is the very same razor as your EJ. Only the handle is different. The head is identical as the same head is used by both Mühle and EJ. If you want to try another razor, it is not worth getting R89 if you already have EJ.

Some of the most mild razors ever made are open comb, also some of the most aggressive razors ever made are open comb. They come in all kind of aggressiveness. Because of a few ultra aggressive ones (Mühle R41, which is not even a true OC, and Fatip) open comb razors sometimes have a reputation for being aggressive.

I find open combs to give a more smooth shave. The typical explanation is that more lather is staying on the face until the blade with open comb. I have an alternative explanation. Most open combs have a quite tiny gap and I think more comfort comes from having a tiny gap. With safety bar razors a tiny gap means clogging, so most safety bar razors have a quite big gap. Because of the comb design, clogging is less likely with an open comb and it is thus possible to make a smaller gap.

EJ is selling really mild open combs: Parker 24C/26C. Both 24C and 26C have the very same head. They would be a good option for a second razor. If you want to go vintage, a Gillette NEW (any model, there are several) would be a good option. The NEWs are moderate aggressive.

I currently have the R89 and the newer 2011+ R41 and I love them both. The R41 feels much more aggressive and exposes more blade thus making a closer shave, but it is not as forgiving. The R89 is less aggressive and with an Astra SP I can barely feel anything at all (But it still works well).

Between the two I find the R41 is the safer razor. Yes it seems illogical but with such an aggressive razor you will not take risks and cut corners hence I cut myself less or actually not really at all with the R41. With the R89 you can get sloppy and sometimes even get away with it, but sometimes you won't!

Alejandro Salemandro said:

The blade gap is almost half of an inch?! I think I'm misunderstanding, but if not, holy cow

Click to expand...

Pretty sure he meant millimeter Although the Merkur Futur wide open could be measured in tenths of an inch. Ha.

whilst there are mild examples of open combs and more aggressive examples imo an open comb example of the same design will be more aggressive. To illustrate what I mean, an Ikon Oss has one side of the head closed comb and the other side open comb, the two sides are identical in blade exposure and blade gap and the only real difference between the two sides is that one side has a comb but the open comb side whilst being mild is still noticeably more aggressive than the closed comb side. I am linking to an image of an Ikon OSS head to show what I mean, I know I probably haven't explained it all that well


http://www.willhincksphotography.com/Other/B/i-mvBvWB8/0/M/DSC7431-M.jpg