Thread: Why shaving with the featherlite blade is the better than the rest

Ah, I see that I have struck a chord with a number of you!! That is good, because it always keeps the discussion going in interesting ways, and it sure makes the board more exciting. I have a little bit of experience with this as I own a few discussion boards of my own, and I started my first about 10 years ago, some have grown to over 80000 members. It's off topic, but on my first and most popular board, I have not posted there for over 3 years, I walked away from discussion boards because it took so much time from me, yet here I am posting on a straight razor board!! Anyway, I will try to broadly address the variety of responses I have received.

Apparently, I have come here in all of my ignorant newbieness and dared question the wisdom of the wizened sages. I do not mean not to display the proper amount of humility to those battle hardened and erudite Master's of the Craft! Please excuse my Sophism, for I am but a coarse and uncouth knave who means no offense! Someday, I too hope to be lecturing the unworldly neophyte on the correct techniques to removing the hair from one's face with a lone blade of steel, while at the same time exemplifying the proper amount of "bad assness" which I will have earned only after having single handedly defeated mine enemies on the field of combat!! How wrong I was, to believe that I had the right to that title after having stood in the bathroom and not made mincemeat of my enemies, but instead of my own FACE!! I also implore forgiveness for asserting that the razor which I use is a "straight Razor" for I now see that even though it may SEEM like a straight razor, it is but a prop for a dupe, since a real and true straight razor requires one to have spent countless hours of studying before one becomes proficient enough to recognize what exactly constitutes a straight and true straight razor. But it does not end there either, for a Real Straight Razor is apparently not defined by the fact that the razor is straight, nor that it is a blade intended for the purpose of hair removal, but is in fact defined by a complicated criterion which includes the number of hours spent stropping, the type and grade of sharpening materials for this implement, the proper display of honing technique, the years of experience at the removal of hair from one's face, and the number of "straight razors" that one owns and/or has utilized efficiently and effectively. And then, and ONLY then, after all of those factors have been entered into a special formula which only Masters of the Craft know, will I then be able to CORRECTLY Identify a straight razor! I pine for this day!!

I hope that the note of sarcasm could be detected in the above paragraph, but if not, I will make sure to precede future communications with clear labels so as not to confuse.

Anyhoo, back to the topic of the post. I meant to provoke a discussion on this topic as over the months that I have visited this site, I have many times seen the Feather artist club blade discussed in a negative light. I bought one myself several months back and have been using it ever since. I have also read a lot on the other type of blades and I felt that it would be interesting to see what would happen if I posted about the positive aspects of the Feather club blade. It seems to me that on this board, and any board, there are many of the type who become so involved in the topic at hand that they are always at the ready to demean and demote anything that does not fit into what their version of "purity." I was curious about this as well because after all, the only difference between this and the others is the simple fact that the blade is removable. But in terms of the process of shaving itself, it takes as much if not more skill to achieve a perfect shave with this blade as it does with any other. But many belittle this blade for the simple fact that one does not sharpen the blade themselves. Personally, I don't think that constitutes the definition of a straight razor, but apparently there are many that do. That is a whole topic of discussion in and of itself! I also don't claim to be an expert, but I wonder if there are times when some individuals ever sit back and consider the silliness of belittling those who disagree with them on the topic of shaving with a straight razor! I realize that those who visit this site are very interested in this topic, and have spent a ton of time on it, but it is worth reminding that we are talking about HAIR REMOVAL! At the turn of the century, I suspect that the length of time a man spent talking about a razor was limited to "Dern fred, cut yourself good that time didn't ye?!" "Yep, I got a peek at my wife's bloomers and nicked myself good!".

There are not many positive things said about the disposable straight razor here, so I thought I would start a discussion of it. I also realized that when I first made the post, I had identified the type of razor I have incorrectly, as it is a Feather Artist Club, and not the "featherlite" (although i gleaned from one response that this blade is also somehow a sign of a shaver to be defrocked and cast out). At any rate, there are definitely pros and cons to both, and room for each in the pantheon of straight razors. In my mind, the real attraction to shaving this way is in the challenge of shaving and not so much in the rest, but I DO see the appeal in the other things, and I will likely find that to be true for myself when I choose to get another straight razor.

The discussion went on a little tangent when I used the term "bad ass" in regards to shaving with a straight. At the time, it was just a thrown out word, with tongue planted firmly in cheek, but that too was a point of contention so I will address that as well. I don't believe that I am wrong when I say that MOST men who use a straight razor were attracted to it because of what it represents. After all, there must be SOME reason why one would choose to devote the time and effort to shaving when the razor technology has advanced to the degree that it has. I am sure that there are any number of reasons, and for most, SEVERAL reasons. But I don't think that I am wrong when I say that it is a distinctly masculine exercise. I don't think that people are being truthful to themselves when they claim that this has no bearing WHATSOEVER on why they chose this "hobby." Some claim that it is the honing and stropping that attracts them to this, but I would say that when one FIRST looked into straight razor shaving, the thing that grabbed them first was NOT honing and stropping. There are not many images in society of the process of honing and stropping for one, and I don't think many people would look at the process first and then say "man I have to shave with a straight because THAT is for me!" I think that you find out later that you enjoy this process but it is not what grabbed you in the first place (furthermore, evidence of the appeal to masculinity can be seen in the explosion of straight razor shaving after exposure in Maxim magazine and a recent television appearance). It may be worthwhile for some to examine these things via your own introspection, but I don't think that it is a bad thing to claim that the masculine or maleness of this hobby attracts you. In fact, I think that society today denigrates and demeans masculinity, that the world is feminizing the male. This is all to apparent in some of the reactions to this concept. I, for one, stand against this along with a number of others. I also applaud this activity, and this site for venerating this activity, because I think it is a GOOD THING. This has nothing to do with kicking ass, or being a jerk, but for many the suggestion of masculinity immediately triggers that connotation. I would not act a coward from behind the safety of my computer to assert my fighting prowess. I don't think that is honorable, and I think that talk is cheap. So if I came across that way, I apologize. However, I will say that I would be comfortable saying anything that I say on the computer to any ones' face, but in any case, I am not one to start a fight, or even seek one. that said, I am not afraid to get hit,or do the hitting with bad odds, and unfortunately I have plenty of experience with that (which I am not proud of). In the end, when that happens win or lose it is still STUPID.

I do believe that this type of shaving is a connection with a man of ages past, I do believe that it puts men in touch with some of those things that make up just being a guy. I think that is great. I also agree that the process of shaving itself is rewarding in that it is a challenge, and it is fun to try new techniques, and you feel great when you do it right. as an aside, I also think that those things are distinctly male traits. I have been a body builder for over 15 years, and I see parallels between the two. For one they both challenge yourself, it is you against you! They are also things that you always seek to maser, for in body building you require great discipline, and you must go through a lot of pain to get results, and you are always challenging yourself more and more. I think may would agree that straight razor shaving has those things in common. Body builders and the activity itself is a very individual thing, and you will find that many people who do it pride themselves on their individuality, my guess is that many here are the same way. Does it make you "bad ass?" I say "yes" if you mean by bad ass that you are doing something that few would do because it is hard, and often painful. How many times has someone seen you shave and said "wow, I could never do that I would chop my face up!" or something similar? That is the one I hear the most next to: "you don't see that much anymore!" Which also validates my earlier point about a connection to an earlier time. So there are many reasons, but I believe there are some pretty universal ones. I also believe that people who share a similar passion also find they have much in common in terms of values, beliefs, and interests. I think that applies here too.

For those that made valid points on the merits of shaving with a disposable straight vs a non disposable straight, I think that I agree with most. I am thinking of getting a custom Zawoda blade done, and the reason for this right now is because it will be a keepsake I will always have and that is pretty attractive. I even hope that someday my own boys might try shaving this way. I will probably learn to like stropping and honing too, as I see in that activity some of the same type of "challenge" and satisfaction one gets from shaving. I know that I am a novice, I never pretended to be otherwise. My wife thinks its pretty funny when I come out of the bathroom after having watched another video and trying a new technique with blood running down my face! I can't help but laugh too! what the hell am I thinking?! Well, I think we all know what I am thinking, and I am looking forward to chopping my face tomorrow. The cuts should be healed by then.


And to fpessanha: Thanks for your very "genteel" response! I hope that this post clarifies what I meant a bit more as well.
Thanks to everyone for responding, would love to hear more!!

Straight shaving is not only about hair removal.Many of the guys at this forum both collect and restore old straights.To define a straight razor by the criteria of it being straight, and therfore call the feather a straight razor is to simple.There is an art to producing a handforged item as this.And thats what this forum is all about.A bunch of guys that shaves, collects, hones and restores straight razors.That enjoy talking about them and exchanging information.Honing, restoring and even shaving with a straight razor is about skills that takes years and years to master.In my book, that deserve respect.Therefore you will have to anticipate some reaction, when you go out loudmouth on issues in wich you have very limited knowledge.You should spend some time in the forum to read and watch what some of these guys can do,pretty amazing!That is why I don't find your sarcastic tone appropriate.I meen why post something just to cause an argue?
Good luck in your endevours with straight razors.

Kristoffer

Originally Posted by JGUNS

And to fpessanha: Thanks for your very "genteel" response! I hope that this post clarifies what I meant a bit more as well.
Thanks to everyone for responding, would love to hear more!!

It does clarify what you meant, Jgun. It's really nice to see that you have your train of thought on this matter perfecly lined up. That is always a treat to see. Thanks for that. I beleive you made yorself quite clear on this post. But Kristoffer and a lot of the other guys that responded to your posts are also right. Now, I beleive, we can see that your intent was the best, meaning, stating the pros of the feather blade. This just degenerated into something else... glad to see its back on track. But you have to understand that it's not nice to rain on anyone's parade... not that you did, but it sure looked like you were about to! I recall a thread that got really really hot at some point: a new guy came in and started a thread with the title "straight razors are rubbish"... now you can imagine what happened, right? We all got pretty worked up, especialy the most active guys in here, guys that answer every question, that read every post not because they have nothing better to do, but because they are commited to this. So I guess you can understand where we all stand... of course you have no way to know this.
I certainly hope that no missunderstanding remains.
Therefore let me be the first to say WELCOME to this place!

Originally Posted by fpessanha

It does clarify what you meant, Jgun. It's really nice to see that you have your train of thought on this matter perfecly lined up. That is always a treat to see. Thanks for that. I beleive you made yorself quite clear on this post. But Kristoffer and a lot of the other guys that responded to your posts are also right. Now, I beleive, we can see that your intent was the best, meaning, stating the pros of the feather blade. This just degenerated into something else... glad to see its back on track. But you have to understand that it's not nice to rain on anyone's parade... not that you did, but it sure looked like you were about to! I recall a thread that got really really hot at some point: a new guy came in and started a thread with the title "straight razors are rubbish"... now you can imagine what happened, right? We all got pretty worked up, especialy the most active guys in here, guys that answer every question, that read every post not because they have nothing better to do, but because they are commited to this. So I guess you can understand where we all stand... of course you have no way to know this.
I certainly hope that no missunderstanding remains.
Therefore let me be the first to say WELCOME to this place!

Thanks for the words and the PM fp!

I am well familiar with the passion that people have for a hobby and the way that passion can come out in the best and worst ways. Lord knows I have done and said all of them! It stands to be pointed out though that it makes my point about the masculinity factor when we can see the results in bruised ego's and territorial ****ing's (urinating)right?! haha, all in good fun.

But let me say this as a board owner myself: Post count does not equal respectability, nor intelligence. In another life years ago there were what we called "post whores" who used to post as much as they could, so that in six months they could be re invented as "experts". I don't know if that occurs here or not, but it is an interesting phenomena. WHere I used to hang we would hotly debate scientific studies, spending hours and hours dissecting volumes of data, often contradictory. It is very interesting to come here and see the same thing, yet over something so seemingly mundane as shaving. But obviously, none of us believe that shaving with a straight razor is mundane! However, I would believe that some perspective is in order. If I post here, I will not offer ad hominem attacks, but to the previous poster, I feel that my sarcasm was well deserved.

Kristoffer, you made some valid points about why you like straight razors, but then you demeaned yourself by belittling MY choice of razor, while at the same time claiming what you didn't like about me was that you felt I was doing that to others (which I pretty well explained my position I believe). Then you resorted to the tried and true ad hominem attack, calling me a "loudmouth." And here you also apparently believe this to be so because I had the temerity to extol the virtues of the Feather club, which in your mind is beneath you. So, there you base your opinion on post count,and you offer yourself as an elitist, and I am sorry, but that is a bit pretentious.

Is that what this board is? Is it a place where you need to use the "right kind" of razor? Is it a place where when you post enough and brag about how many razors you own you are elevated? For some, it is, but I suspect that for the silent majority, it is not. I have read this board without posting or even as a registered user for awhile. I have found a lot of knowledge here, but when I bought my feather Club I was excited to read about it, and what I found was pretty much contained in this thread. I found that interesting and decided to post what I thought were the merits of the blade. I have seen a fewpeople actually post some interesting comments and the rest, not so much.

I am new to shaving this way but I know more than most people about boards. It is more interesting to have different viewpoints, then a few who decide for the rest what the viewpoints should be. If you want to have a place that is fun to come to, maybe some should lighten up. Just my .02 (oh, would it help if I mention that I have collectively over 20,0000 posts, just not here, probably not... SIGH)


PS- the Feather Club Artist rules and is a real straight razor. So far, nothing has changed my mind, but I am thinking that stropping is the key to enlightenment (a JOKE, sheesh!)

Originally Posted by JGUNS

maybe some should lighten up. Just my .02

lol

PS add 1 to my post count

I think things got a bit out of hand here guns, even though I think I see where you are comming from. Your first post had some interesting points and you gave straight users an opportunity to explain why they prefer non-disposable blades, but it started off in a very antagonistic way. It seemed like you were making a post (on a site dedicated to the old fashioned straight razor) telling everyone why their razors were inferior. Like a ford user going on a chevy forum and telling everyone why their machine was better... of course people are going to react.

I can only speak for myself and I listed the reasons why I like my old straights... I have not tried a feather, but I get a bbs shave with my razors. Add that to the other reasons I like straights and I am comfortable where I am. I think that it is a valid point that some of the senior members have raised... it could be that you have not had a straight as sharp as the feather, but maybe they have. Anyways, for what it's worth I think that many posters have raised some good reasons why they prefer the non-disposable blades, confrontational language aside.

for what it's worth

Ok, since you want other people's opinion I would submit my refute to your statement.

Originally Posted by JGUNS

Shaving with the Feather artist club Disposable straight razor is BETTER than non disposable blades. Here are the reasons:

First, I think that learning on the Featherlite as I have done is the best possible thing you can do. There are simply no sharper blades then the FeatherClubs. I haven't come across any non disposable blade that is nearly as sharp. If you can master shaving with the Feather club(which I don't think I can honestly say that I have), then anything else is child's play. So, for the pure ART of the shave, I think that the Feather artist club master is the true artist.

This has been demonstrated to be wrong - many people's hand-honed edges are just as sharp at the Feather ones. Please submit your proof. I would like to see micrographs of the edges of people who were mentioned previously along with ones for the feather edges.
On my end I would point you to the infamous article by Verhoeven et. al.

However, not only your facts, but your logic is flawed as well: I do not see why shaving with the 'sharpest possible edge' is the most challenging thing in the world, making anything else a child's play. I would argue that far more challenging is shaving with a dull blade, say dull as in butter knife dull. I would submit that if one masters shaving with that edge, any edge sharper than it would be a child's play. If you think that is prohibitively dull, let's use the minimum sharpness that ensures a hair would be cut - I suppose that's about order of magnitude smaller than the thickness of the hair, so let's say 5micrometers.

My own opinion is that the best edge to learn on is somewhere in the middle between the sharpest possible and the dullest possible.

THUSLY, he is more BAD ASS, and let's face it: most of us shave with Straight razors because it is manly as hell, and there is a sad sad lack of manliness in the world today.

So if I would to wield an AFM tip I would be the ultimate bad-ass? There is sharp for the sake of sharpness and there is functionally useful for the task at hand.
You would also have to provide some support that 'most people shave with straight razors because of insufficient testosterone level'.

Next, I would add that the razor itself is pure art in its design. It is perfectly designed to adapt to every person's individual style and do it well, it's balance is perfect, and its light weight is excellent. I have read a ton of posts where people say "it just seems flimsy" or "there seems like there is nothing there." Like this is a BAD Thing??! It is SUPPOSED to be light, the "flimsiness" is actually an extremely fine edge, for the closest shave possible.

Some people actually prefer razors with substance, apart from the ever changing fads. I think extending your idea of 'perfection' to an absolute applicable to anyone else is where your (and many others') problem is.

Thusly, you get a closer shave, another reason.

I know plenty of people who get equally close shaves with other razors, and more enjoyable ones as well.

Finally, no stropping.. Yes yes, I know the purests claim to "love to strop" but Come on, the manliness and art of shaving begins and ends with the shave itself,

Really? "That's just... your opinion... man."

stropping is just extra busiwork, time I'd rather spend on something else, like learning to master the Featherlite!!

Well statistically you're an odd ball. A lot of people actually do the stropping, the honing, the restoration, the collecting, because they enjoy these things.

I'm trying to find something to convince myself that this isn't a classic troll. I really am

I'll throw in my last 2 cents and then I'm out.

I've been on this forum for a bit of time. Although you'll see the occasional barb against shaving with "cans of goo" and mega multi bladed cartridge razors, etc, unless I'm blind to it, I don't feel the consensus among members on SRP is that shaving with a traditional straight razor (non-disposable) is so utterly superior in form, function and ideology that any other shaving method is not only inferior, but wrong headed. I could care less if a man chooses to shave in any other way. Or to put a more positive spin on it for the glass half full crowd, I think ANY method a man prefers to use to shave his face is great for him and more power to em.

YOU on the other hand appear to be telling me that my method of shaving with a traditional straight razor is inferior to the Feather. I guess I don't get it. I must be one of the luddites you make subtle reference to.

Chris L

Oh, and yeah, I agree, Quick; I can't help but think Forzato sold his defective Norton combo stone and other straight razor gear, bought a Feather and has reincarnated himself.

I too enjoy the process, even the truncated (by some guys on heres standards) process I use (hot water, only apply more lather as needed, single passes unless needed etc.) I enjoy taking something that is older than my great-grandfather and shaving with it. wondering how many faces in how many places its seen. Do I honestly tell a difference in smoothness between it and my 3 blade disposables of yesterday (and I hate to admit, every once in a while when I sleep a bit too long and run short on time)?? No, not really. not that I personally can tell at least. but I was explaining to my wife the other day, and she understood, that the 20 minutes or so I spend shaving is for me a reset, it is what some people achieve with meditation. for that time period my head is empty, other than the shave. Probably saves me money for a shrink.

As to being a bad ass. Bad ass is not something you can create, sure, you can approximate it, you can pretend. but in the end being a bad ass is just like being cool. You are or you aren't. Am I cool? kinda I guess. Am I a bad ass, yes. I'm bad ass whether I shave with a shard of glass or a woman's shavy thing. do I notice my bad assedness more when using the straight? sure, but is that the razor or because I have more time to carefully look at my handsome face in the mirror? I don't know. I do enjoy knowing that if I screw up I'll notice it.

Red
PS
I too have been a member on other boards. many of them have an ignore feature. I can set people on there then when I read threads their posts don't show at all. How come this board doesn't have that feature?