I agree to a point- I can't hone well enough yet to approach the level of sharp to remove the irritation on a traditional straight- that said the professionally honed straight I have isn't irritation free either. The Feather DOES induce random weepers from time to time, but for me it is the blade's time if life that seems to do it- the first 2 shaves are dicey, but it evens out very nicely for me through about 7 more shaves before I get to the same level as a traditional straight.... and if I'm experiencing the same irritation as a traditional straight I can get several more shaves out of it before absolutely needing to swap blades.

Technique is very important- and that is the reason I wanted a feather- to work on technique for shaving without worrying about honing or stropping. So far so good- I'm very pleased with mine.