I have a feather Japanese straight and yes they are SCARY sharp!!! I have three regular straight all have been honed by a pro and they are not even near the feather! That being said the traditional straights do shave much smoother. The feather is awesome but must use a fairly flat angle and NO pressure, with a new blade you can get a pretty good cut just presenting it to your face. As they dull a bit by about the third shave they are a cadilac! But after a few more shaves you have to start all over with the tiny nicks and being super carefull with a new blade. I just ordered the super pro blades which I hope will be a bit more forgiving.
I don't regret my feather purchase but as a first razor I think I would have cut my face off! You almost need straight experience to use one well. Hope this helps!