The New Crop Of Open Comb Razors

For me the advantage of open comb vs solid bar is the lather not being squeegeed off before the blade reaches stubble. They can also leave tracks/traces of lather behind, making for quick touch up in areas easier since I’m able to rub that spot gently to lube or cut right through with the trace, where a solid I’d need those areas relathered first. Another is dependant on the type/brand/model of open comb. I’ve found that extra lather-before-blade can actually make the shave milder, even though cutting is more aggressive with some. Having spent weeks dialing in the differences between the ATT [Above The Tie] razor System solid bar and open comb baseplates I’ve literally found I prefer the OC plates to the solid, been using them daily with excellent results and less irritation than I’d get with their solid bar counterparts! Tried going back to the solid bar only to find them more aggressive, especially if hitting the same spot more than once. Without those lather traces the solid bar can pull skin and skip, stop suddenly and bite. A lot has to do with prep and technique but for me the OCs just ‘feel right’ with fewer nicks, less irritation, outstanding results every time! ATT also offers baseplates with different blade gaps so if I’m shaving daily I’ll use an R or plate for regular growth/aggression and if days of stubble in need of removal I’ll go with an H or heavy aggression plate that has more blade gap. Can’t use wide gapped heads daily as they’re so aggressive it shaves almost too close, shaves the outermost layer of skin along with heavy stubble. Gotten shaves so close from an H2 open comb I didn’t have to shave for two days after which is great if you’re a night shaver like me. Shave at night, good the next morning and throughout the day with an aggressive open comb but again not all open combs are aggressive just as Mark states, some are very mild and at least one I’ve tried actually too mild for me to shave with. I use OCs daily now and don’t see that changing, unless the day comes I finally try my first slant I get better results. When I came back to DE shaving I knew I had old razors packed away, going unused for decades, when the cart razors came out and that’s all I used for decades. After some digging the first old DE used was a 1940 German open comb 4-piece which could almost be seen as a blade on a stick other than the teeth acting as guards. I lathered up with cheap canned foam and old nylon brush [all I had at that time] and plowed through a weeks growth with ease, just a few rinses of the head every few swipes. OCs also don’t clog as quickly as carts (obviously) and even less so than many safety bar razors, another ‘benefit’ if you regard less rinsing as a benefit. That old razor was then used to shave my face daily until getting a modern DE. With a good blade, soap and brush I watched as the cart-razor irritation began to fade, especially on my neck, my shaves became closer and cleaner than even my electric Braun microfoil could provide. Before WWII many daily use DEs were open comb, not solid bar, and I’m thinking probably with good reason. Back then it was those or straight razors because people understood blade angle and technique. As I watched time go by the safety bar came about more and more as fewer barbers gave straight shaves and fewer people understood this ‘angle & technique’ needed. I’m thinking a safer alternative was needed for those too rushed to take the time to learn proper angle and technique and the safety bar offered that to a degree. For the closest shaves many today will still tell you there’s nothing better than a good straight shave done properly. For me the next best thing to a straight razor shave are my open comb DEs, vintage or new, for me they give the best DE shaves ‘bar-none’!