Originally Posted by
kaptain_zero
Just a couple of points, in the land of the Feather, the Pro blade and Pro Guard blade are the same, with the latter simply having the wire guard over the edge. The Pro Super is an entirely different beast, it's edge geometry is different which results in more comfortable shaves when you get the hang of how they shave.
Life span for a Pro blade, guarded or not is about 1 weeks worth of shaving, for me that meant 5-6 shaves and then it falls apart. For the first three shaves it's wickedly sharp and unforgiving of sloppy technique, there is NO margin for errors.
Life span of the Pro Super blades is double that of the Pro and for me it was 2 solid weeks of shaving per blade. The first two shaves demanded close attention to technique and then it sort of mellows out until by the end of 2 weeks when it starts to pull like a traditional straight. The triple bevel on the Pro Super can give you incredible control once you get the feel for it, you can shave right over top of yesterdays nick by just dropping the spine slightly closer to your face as you skim over it and it feels like you shaved close as always but you don't catch on the nick. I highly recommend the Pro Super blades for the Feather AC.
The harshness of the Feather is most often caused by improper technique, either too much pressure or too steep an angle or stretching the skin too much. I can slackskin shave with my Feather, no stretching at all other than just tilting the head, this way and that... I'm in my 50s so there's a bit of loose skin around! :D For the record, I cannot slackskin shave with my traditional straights, they demand some very slight stretching. The Feather, once mastered can give incredibly comfortable shaves, but you *must* master it and that does not come as easy as it does for traditional straights.
As for shaving prep, this is all important and I'd suggest a quality cream rather than soap as you learn the ropes with the Feather... Good creams tend to have a bit more cushion and makes shaving with such sharp blades a bit more manageable, soaps can be close cutting with less cushion but more glide. Taylor of Old Bond Street has a nice selection of scents, they are rather inexpensive and when lathered up properly (lather should be more like a Mime's face paint rather than a fluffy meringue). Other brands are equally efficient but I thought I'd mention one of the lower cost products with a wide range of flavors.
Regards
Christian