Are Open Comb Razors More Aggressive

[unky_gumbi]

I have a number of yearly Gillette open comb razors and I really can't say that they are more aggressive than a safety bar razor, but I do find that they have a easier time cutting and offer less resistance. They glide over my face with ease, but I never worry about slicing my face up. Does that mean they are aggressive or that they are just more efficient? I will leave that up to you, but I do think that everyone should at least try one if they are looking for a more aggressive razor and decide for themselves.

 

[kg4ghn]

I think aggressiveness depends more on blade gap and exposure than the type of comb. There are milder and aggressive open combs just like razors with safety bars. Open combs are better for shaving more growth because they don't clog up as much.

All of that is just my opinion, of course.

 

[unky_gumbi]

I think, this is just my opinion mind you, that the reason that open combs work so well on longer growth is because they don't have a bar pushing the hairs down. With a bar the hair gets bent over and not cut as close till the it is short enough to stand up between the bar and the blade.

 

[shecky]

It's a bit more complicated than that, I find. I find my old style OC Gillette and very similarly constructed Merkur to be aggressive shavers. However, it would be a mistake to call them harsh (which seems to be what some people mean when they say "aggressive"). On the contrary, I find them to be quite smooth, forgiving, and easy to use.

Aggressiveness and harshness seem to be the result of the razor's design. Mostly the gap between the blade and the guard, and the exposure the blade has (meaning the amount the blade protrudes beyond the guard and cap). Another factor may be the blade angle in relation to the guard and the cap.

Open comb razors often have the blade rest on the teeth of the comb. In a way, there is no blade exposure or gap where the teeth are. Yet between the teeth, there's effectively infinite gap. Yet the teeth keeps one from slicing pieces of one's face off. This design I find allows a very close shave, but not one that is terribly harsh on the skin.

Another kind of open comb razor, the Gillette NEW (I think some IKON razors copy this style) has a gap between the comb and the entire blade edge. Understandably, these are sometimes thought of as being more aggressive. I've not necessarily found this to be true. But it is a different and distinctive style from the older Gillette.

 

[unky_gumbi]

I have 4 open comb razors, all vintage Gillettes and none of them shave the same. The smoothest is the Single Ring with the 102 top plate. I find the short comb New a close second in smoothness followed by the long comb New. The Ball End Old Type with the 102A is the harshest of the three. I have inspected it closely and can't see any major damage or defects in it that the others don't have, so I just chalk it up to the 102A top cap.

 

[TUF]

A razor with an open comb will be more aggressive than the same razor with a closed comb.

 

[bouncer71]

I own a Merkur 23c and a Merkur 25c. One open comb and one safety bar. I find the open comb more aggressive but not harsh. It is slightly better for heavy growth. My preferred method is open comb for first pass, safety second pass and a multi-blade cartridge to finish only because I still have leftovers from before I started with safety razors.