Open comb razors can vary in aggressiveness just as solid bar razors do. For a given level of aggressiveness, OC razors might be slightly more efficient.
Before COVID, I used to shave every day. I am retired now and do not go out as often as I once did. So now I shave every 2-3 days. I like starting out my shave with a moderately aggressive open comb razor with a reasonably sharp blade to knock down my overall beard growth on the WTG pass. Then I switch to safety bar razors for my subsequent XTG, ATG, and final clean-up passes. I often use a different razor for each pass with each razor less aggressive than the previous one. That allows me to get a near BBS shave with no irritation in spite of my sensitive skin. If I were to try to use the open comb razor I normally use for my WTG pass for subsequent passes, I would experience some irritation during the shave. If I were to use the very mild SB razor I use for my clean-up pass for the entire shave, I would not get quite as close. Thus, I try to use my razors in an optimal manner.
There are a lot of different designs for open comb razors. Some like the Merkur 25C have very fine teeth, too fine for my liking. Some like the Karve open comb base plate have rather fat teeth, too fat for my liking. The Muhle R41 has very open teeth that make it quite aggressive, too much so for my sensitive skin. My favorite is the Parker 24C. For my beard and skin, it works well as long as I shave off the cap (shallow blade angle). If I shave with a steep blade angle, it can cause skin irritation.
flask28,
Brains,
ewk and
1 others like this post