Thread: DE design/function help.

OK so I've been looking at DE razors and I have a question about the design.
Most of them have teeth or a comb. Some don't. It looks like the teeth would get in the way. What's their purpose?
What's a good starter DE?

Originally Posted by salazch

OK so I've been looking at DE razors and I have a question about the design.
Most of them have teeth or a comb. Some don't. It looks like the teeth would get in the way. What's their purpose?
What's a good starter DE?

That's the safety bar, which is why they're called DE safety razors.

Some have straight bars, some have open tooth combs. The latter are for shavers who want a VERY close shave and/or have a heavier beard.

If you're just starting with a DE razor, I personally would opt for the straight bar. You can get a very close shave with it. I do with my Merkur HD straight bar DE razor.

Do you have any links that I can look at for examples?

Originally Posted by salazch

Do you have any links that I can look at for examples?

Try this link:

Double-Edge Safety Razor

There are some good ones there. I like the butterfly style. How do I tell which DE are open bar?

I think I figured it out. So the comb/teeth are for heavier beard? So no teeth is better for beginner?

All of the butterfly or TTO (Twist To Open) razors are straight bar I believe.

And yes, I personally think that the straight bar is best for the beginner.

If you are set on a butterfly, go with the Parker. It is a good quality razor. At the same time, it a more aggressive shaver than the more traditional Merkurs or Edwin Jaggers.

What makes the TTO more aggressive? If teeth are good for a starter razor then that's fine. I just want something that's comfortable and easy to learn on.

I'm not sure, but it may have something to do with the distance between the blade and the safety bar, which is greater in a Parker than the other razors.

You misunderstood me...NO teeth or open comb are good for a starter razor--if you do not not have a very heavy beard.

If you want something that's comfortable, I would still recommend a traditional DE--a Merkur or Edwin Jagger. They do not, to my knowledge, sell TTO razors, though.

The vintage Gillette 1934 USA Aristocrat and the British Gillette model 15 were open comb and TTO. So was the pre war Gillette Senator IIRC. I believe Gillette was the first to introduce the bar guard (not open comb) with the 1940 Milord but I may be wrong.

Looking at many vintage open comb razors I think that the reason they got away from them was that they were more difficult to manufacturer and you see a lot of them with bent teeth. Guys would drop them. Depending on which tooth it may or may not cause a problem with the shave.

Merkur brought the open comb back on some models and I believe that was as a result of the popularity of vintage razors. Just a supposition. I may be wrong about that as well. I have both and having shaved with both I have no preference based on the guard. The weight of the razor and the aggressiveness are what I look for.

I've heard that the Merkur HD is a good starter razor. If I was to go for a TTO I would look for a good Gillette red tip super speed but that is just me.