Thread: Trading standard str8s for a Feather AC

I dont hone, I send mine out maybe once or twice a year and touch them up in between with a pasted strop, it works very well. I will probably hone eventually, but it isnt on my top 5 list of things to learn at the moment. As long as you dont mind paying about $20.00 there are a few good people that will hone for you.

On the flip side, there is nothing wrong with using a feather, I have considered buying one for when I fly unfamiliar airlines and not having to worry about losing a checked real straight.

All in all , you have to find out what works for you -- nothing says that anyone has to be a hardcore honer, restorer, exclusive straight razor shaver --- keep it fun ---


Justin

lol why not just take a cheaper straight if all your worried about is losing one? considering 80+ bucks is what it takes to buy a feather, you would probably be better suited buying a wapi or other inexpensive razor for traveling if your only concern is losing an expensive one... i figured most people travel with feathers to avoid possibly damaging the edge during the trip and not having a hone handy, or, more often, not having to bring a strop with you and potentially ruining the strop in the packing or shipment... not to mention, the pain in the ass stropping is, especially if you are in a hurry and your only razor needs to be stropped before you shave... business meetings would probably be the biggest candidate for such a scenario.

me? i want one to skip all the BS until i decide to spend the money on it... im looking to make myself as self sufficient as possible, and to need as little help in getting done what i need to get done as possible... sending one out for honing is a great service, but in the end... i dont like having to take my stuff to someone else for work... i work on my own cars, i work on my own guitars, i work on my own computer, i try to keep everything maintenence wise within my own capable hands... which is why i know im going to need to learn to hone very soon lol especially since beginner stropping is probably setting me up for a new edge every month or two till i get it right... you know?

Uhhhh, just so you know warlock that sig line is a joke. I get comfortable shaves from a traditional, but a traditional can't get as sharp as a feather (not trying to start a fight, just my expirience).

My expirience with a feather has been great. There are some small diffrences in the technique used, but ultimately if you can use a straight you can use a feather. I still get a nick once a week, but they are never serious and don't scar. The advice I would give you if you do go for a feather is to hold it gingerly and use it lightly because once you have that in your hand the traditional straights seem dull.

We should also remember, with respect to honing, that there is a big difference between bringing a dead blade back to life and keeping a sharp blade keen. A lot of the trials and tribulations you see written about here deal with the former. Maintaining an edge is not nearly as involved - unless we make it so.

Jordan

Originally Posted by gugi

warlock,

I think if you don't have the patience for a regular straight you won't have the patience for a feather either. as far as consistency of feathers - you should read some posts of people trying to learn them, here and at b&b (some are complete with pictures). you may be surprised with what you find. i don't want to be discouraging, but that's my observation from what i've read so far.
i think spending more money on gear won't improve your results, only patience will. if you don't have it you should stick with de, m3 or fusion - most of the western world uses them and they seem to be doing ok. i wish you would continue trying straights, but somehow i have the feeling you've already lost your motivation in which case encouraging you would be pointless.

I 100% don't buy into consistency problems with a feather. I've been shaving with one for about two years now. I use it daily. I think there's a tremendous difference between a new blade and a ten day old blade, and that can make it seem a little inconsistent to the less experience, but its really as predictable as clockwork. I think I can fairly say that in the 50-odd superpro blades I've used, I've yet to encounter a clunker.

It's like any other tool. If you learn to use it, it will treat you well. I get a snicker out of those who have invested months into learning to use and hone and strop a straight correctly, only to pick up a Feather, use it for a week, and deem it somehow inferior to a traditional straight. There are some who really give the Feather months, and then move on or go back to a straight, and I really take them at their word, as they've put in the time to draw a conclusion-- but those aren't the guys claiming the blades aren't consistent!!

i can see how a regular straight user would deem a blade like the feather to be inconsistent... simply because for a professional straight user their blades offer the same shave for months and months... without anything more than a stropping, or a touch up on a pasted paddle... disposable blades die out after a few uses... but, i couldnt see how a feather RG would be any less consistent than a DE blade... same concept, you know?

My main problem with the Feather is that it is really unforgiving. I have a nice scar under my chin and cannot get a Feather blade past it without a nick. Other than that, that are nice shavers. Never a problem with my regular straight razors.

Lynn

yeah Lynn, but you are the go-to source of information, and professional honing services for razors... hell, you directed the DVD on it lol i would find it hard to believe there is a beast out there you couldnt tame...

Originally Posted by Warlockdlx69

i can see how a regular straight user would deem a blade like the feather to be inconsistent... simply because for a professional straight user their blades offer the same shave for months and months... without anything more than a stropping, or a touch up on a pasted paddle... disposable blades die out after a few uses... but, i couldnt see how a feather RG would be any less consistent than a DE blade... same concept, you know?

It's one of those things that's hard to understand before you use it. The Feather AC blades are good for about eight to ten shaves for me, and when you put in a fresh one, the new blade is very different from the old blade. Perhaps the safety bar in the DE takes some of the adventure of a blade change away, but you really need to take things a bit easy with the Artist Club on new blade day. After going through a pack or two, this becomes second nature.