Dear traditional shaving enthusiasts,
In this article, we will talk about open comb razors. While not as much as a standard “closed comb” or “straight bar” safety razors, open comb razors are also very popular today. Yet there are some misconceptions about these razors. So, we decided to clear things up for our readers.
What are the differences?
First of all, let's look at the differences between the two designs. On the right, is the Merkur’s 23C. This is a standard “closed comb” or “straight bar” safety razor. As you can see, the lower head plate has a closed bar-shaped shield part.
On the left, is the 15C model again from Merkur Solingen. These two are almost the same razors. The main difference is their head designs. As you can see in the 15C model, the part that acts as a shield, is not a straight closed bar but is open and combed. That's what we call “open comb” razor.
Are they more aggressive?
This is a very common misconception about the open comb razors. An open comb in and of itself has nothing to do with razor “aggressiveness.” Razor head geometry is what determines the aggressiveness. That is, the blade angle, the blade gap and blade exposure. These are the values, which determine the aggressiveness.
In straight bar razors, during shaving, the safety bar scrapes off the excess lather, leaving a very thin slick lather layer, plus stretching the skin a little bit and thus allowing the blade to glide smoothly over the skin. The thin lather acts as a cushion between the skin and the razor blade, while the closed bar becomes a safety bumper which prevents the blade from more exposure than desired. Closed comb razors generally feel smoother on the face. However, if your lather is a bit too thick or dense, the blade may not reach your skin well enough to shave effectively.
In open comb razors however, the shaving effectiveness is increased as the bar is not completely closed, the teeth of the comb can pass through the lather and the blade come closer to the skin through the longer whiskers or thick lather. This also means that the cutting edge of the blade reaches to the skin easier and closer. Thus, even if your lather is thick or dense the blade won’t have any problems to reach your skin. This is what makes the open comb razors shave more easily and effectively. This “more effective shaving” feature is often confused with aggressiveness. But, these are different things. Since historically open comb design was often used in aggressive razors because of its effectiveness, people had the misconception that open comb razors are more aggressive. However, many vintage open comb razors, including the old Gillette models, have quite gentle shaving characteristics. Today there are a variety of open comb safety razors available on our store, ranging from mild to very aggressive.
So, what are they for?
Well, if the open comb razors are not more aggressive then you might ask what are they for? First of their purpose is the shaving effectiveness described above. They can offer a cleaner shave with less effort and less strokes compared to straight bar models.
Secondly, since the blade can reach the skin easier, they are particularly good at cutting those whiskers leaning flat to the skin, especially in the problematic neck area.
However, the real benefit of the open comb razors is that they shave longer beard better than closed comb razors by letting the whiskers flow through to the cutting edge of the blade without being obstructed or pushed down by a closed bar. Open comb razors can easily cut even the longest hairs from the bottom in one pass. So, actually the main purpose of the open comb razors is to provide effortless shaving for people who shave infrequently.
In summary, whether straight bar or open comb, both types can give you very nice shaves. Open comb razors are more specialized products. If you have very flat whiskers, though beard, but sensitive skin or if you are a seldom-shaver, then you may choose open comb razors as they can offer cleaner shave with less effort without irritating the skin. There is something to know though; since open comb heads come closer to the skin, they may not feel as smooth as the straight bars on the skin.
May your shaving pleasure ever last!
