Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought three different razor combs and have given each of them a test run. The three were Diane Tinkle Hair Cutter (DTHC),the Diamond Edge Platinum Hair Shaper (DEPHS) and the Seki (most expensive). I liked the DTHC for the following reasons: It was the least expensive of the three and, in comparison to the Seki, it's an excellent product for the price. However, it is plastic, which doesn't seem to be too sturdy. The Seki has variable settings and the DTHC has two edges, one on either side. In the vendor's picture, you will notice that the Diane Tinkle comb (DTHC) has two notches along the center of the comb; those notches are the tracks to open the comb to change the blades. I have feminine hands with arthritis and the comb was fairly easy to open. If I have a problem opening the unit, I insert an ice pick into one of the notches to help me glide the comb's cover. I couldn't open the Seki. And, unlike the Seki, the DTHC's two double edge blades are positioned vertically, making the cutting edge two times longer than the Seki. Both of these cutters use regular double edge blades, have two cutting edges (one on either side), and although I probably won't use them in my lifetime, I purchased 500 blades for less than ten dollars from an Amazon vendor. The way the blades are positioned within the Seki, only one edge of each blade is exposed for use; with the DTHC comb, both edges are exposed (one is for a short cut and the other is for a longer cut). I recently tried the Diamond Edge Platinum cutter (DEPHS), it has interchangeable heads and a blade that I can replace very easily with my arthritic hands, even easier than the DTHC. However, the length of the cutting area is about 25% shorter than the DTHC comb, and that blade's design is a single edge blade with a unique length, given that it is 50% longer and also narrower than normal single edge blades. If and when the user needs a blade replacement for the DEPHS comb, that factor may be a problem. And, although the DEPHS has different heads, they all appear to be the same height, but designed with different angles and increasingly wider spacing between the teeth. I chose a head that had about 1/4 inch space and was satisfied with the cut until I realized that I had accidentally knicked myself in a few places, including my ear. I may have positioned the blade at a wrong angle. The blade is so sharp that I didn't feel a thing, but I did notice the drop of blood on my ear and later felt a couple of stings on my scalp. I finished the cut with the Diane Tinkle comb because it hasn't hurt me yet. The more I use the DTHC, which is about once a week, the more I like it. I've had it for about four months, and I haven't replaced the blades yet; I simply clean and reinsert them. I notice that it works best on dry, clean hair. I suggest that after you get a barber or salon cut, maintain the length by using the DTHC periodically. None of these razor combs is going to give you a salon style cut. They make uneven cuts,and the Seki and the Diamond Edge Platinum Tip tend to pull the hair at times. With the bad winter, I didn't cut my hair during the duration of the season and when I went to get a cut, both the hair salon and the barber shop had gone out of business. My solution was to give myself my first haircut; I grabbed a Fiskars Softouch scissors (another excellent product) and proceeded to fill my small paper trash can with hair. Then I grabbed the Seki to finish the job (razor combs don't work well near the ears, so you may need a trimmer for that kind of work). The combs don't come with instructions, so I start at the back of the neck and work my way north and forward as I try to follow the hair's natural directional growth. I have thick, wavy hair and I didn't have a problem with any of these products' ability to cut. In the end, I was satisfied that I had a short cut and hair that washes with less effort, but it's definitely not a designer style and it's something that I can live with. A couple of weeks later, I did the second trim with the Diane Tinkle Hair Cutter, which I now use once a week, as I mentioned earlier.