could somebody describe the difference in shaves from a open comb gillette and a not open comb gillette?
Thanks,
Michael
Thanks,
Michael
so not responses........
does this mean no difference?
Oh no! There truly are some differences. I don't know about others, but I found myself at a loss for words of how to describe them. So I was hoping someone else would answer...so not responses........
does this mean no difference?
Oh no! There truly are some differences. I don't know about others, but I found myself at a loss for words of how to describe them. So I was hoping someone else would answer...
Imagine a straight razor, with the edge sliding along an area of skin which has no whiskers, toward a forest of whiskers. When it reaches the whiskers, it slices them off right level with the skin. Now, add a solid safety bar that touches your skin just in front of the edge. Now, when you come to the whiskers, they must be first bent over by the bar, and then after the bar passes, they can spring back up to be sheared by the blade. Now, if your whiskers are long, stiff, and dense, then the bar will start to ride up some, lifting the edge away from your face, and so not cutting the whisker right down at the skin level. What the open comb does is effectively remove half or slightly more of the safety bar, leaving open slots where there is no bar at all, but at the same time, the remaining teeth on the comb act like a safety bar to help keep you from digging the blade into your skin, which of course, you CAN do with a straight razor! If the teeth are relatively thin and slightly tapered, then they will tend to push most of the whiskers slightly sideways into the open part, instead of having to roll over them.
So the open comb works much better than a solid safety bar if you have long, dense, tough whiskers. If you don't, then it will still work as well as a straight safety bar. Some people say a little better, even.
So why not make all razors open comb? Well, cost of manufacturing an open comb can be higher. Really nice open combs (where the teeth are fine and tapered) are subject to bending/breakage if the razor is dropped, etc. And most people now shave pretty much every day, so don't have especially long whiskers. Gillette made all their razors open comb until about the 30's or so. Before that, many men only shaved once or twice a week. (Gillette, of course, really promoted the idea that a REAL gentleman should shave every day -- sold more blades that way!)
Very interesting. Thanks for the info Fritz.Gillette made all their razors open comb until about the 30's or so. Before that, many men only shaved once or twice a week. (Gillette, of course, really promoted the idea that a REAL gentleman should shave every day -- sold more blades that way!)
Well, if you don't want the vintage ones Michael posted, but a new (as opposed to NEW) then my choices (all Merkur) would be the 38C if you like hefty, long-handled razors, or the 1904 Classic if you prefer lighter, shorter-handled ones, or the Long-Handled Classic, if you want lighter but long-handled. Note that ALL 3 of these razors are available in straight safety bar OR open comb, and you should be careful that you are ordering the open comb version.Thanks for the info. Can anyone suggest what open comb razor to buy?