Well, I’ve had only 2 open combs to date, but have had 9 closed combs over the years. Mostly vintage Gillettes.

It’s important that when you’re doing A-B comparisons, that you stick with a blade you’ve had great success with, so you can track how well that razor works for you. When I started my journey, I was all about the Derby blades. Having honed my technique, now I’m a Feather guy. It took 20+ years to find my matches, technique can never be stressed enough.

The best advice I can give: go slow and steady (you want to maintain a 30° blade angle to your skin), be sure to use a good quality shave soap or cream (Proraso and Tabac are great for me), don’t use Barbisol or aerosol cans, and remember to have fun and enjoy the experience! I love my shave routine, it’s Zen for me.

There’s a great site that still holds strong to this day for all things wetshaving: BadgerAndBlade.com