For Feather Artist Razor Owners READ!

I was speaking with a master razor designer the other day (okay it was Tim Z, but there is a reason to tell you that) and I mentioned how aggressive the blade is to shave with and he brought up a point that I had never even thought about. The Feather Artist club razor has a built in plane on the razor that is about 32 degrees. He said that this made it so that when you put it flat against your face, you were already at the maximum or even slightly ABOVE the maximum angle which then made it so that it was easier to cut your face. I went to my razor and checked it out and he is exactly right. you see, the non disposable blades have very little angle built in, so you basically create your angle yourself when you are shaving. My Livi and Dovo blades have almost nill of an angle especially since theyre hollow grinds. I made the mistake of doing that myself from the very start, which made when the blade was new especially difficult to pull off without cutting yourself. I placed the blade flat as could be against my skin, and voila, it was MUCH better. But Tim Mentioned that for his own Feather, which he uses when traveling and such, he has ground it down to about 15 degrees, which made it much more maneuverable. So I mention this so that any of you that have this blade, know that you can send it to classic shaving and Tim will grind it down for you for a small fee. It is definitely worth it.

good to know. I was told from the beginning in this forum to keep the angle low for the feather but maybe I'll give it another go but this time with the side flat against my face. I started with the feather before I got a real straight and thought I was getting the hang of it. After I made the switch to the non-replaceable blade straights I couldn't go back. It has been sitting in my drawer un-used ever since. Maybe I'll try it out one more time and if it is nicer this time around, I can use it for travel.

This picture might give some more weight to this:
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That's a graphic representation from the feather home site of a Feather Artist club razor loaded with two different blades, the regular professional and the new "light" professional. Notice in the picture, the head is flat against the skin.

I should have thought of that long ago. I've been wasting all that energy masticating!

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Originally Posted by OLD_SCHOOL

Being an occasional user of a feather, and having learned to shave with one before a real straight, I have to say, that grinding a feather holder just so you can use it properly is taking things to the extreme. If you learn how to use a feather correctly, you'll find you can get a damn near perfect shave every time and it will always be cut/nick free. *Damn near being, its just not the same as shaving with a real straight.
The razor flat against your face idea is also a bit of a myth as I have discovered during the times I have used a feather. Yes it helps prevent you cutting yourself, but doesn't shave as well.

IMO grinding a razor so you can use it properly, is the same as pureeing your meals before consumption so you don't have to put any effort into chewing your food.

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Hey, thats great that you like the way that it is, different strokes for sure. I have a different experience with it though. I actually get a much closer shave with it flat against my face. Flat against my face for the first pass and the majority of the shave, but then of course on the second pass is where some creativity is required. For now I am not going to get mine ground, but I may do that later after I see if there is really a need for it. It is mostly going to end up a travel/no time for strop type blade. Faces are different, and mine has moles and weird growth patterns for the hairs and all kinds of stuff that make me constantly have to shift styles. I don't believe that Tim suggested grinding it for using it properly however, as I am sure that Tim is probably better at shaving technique then most people. It IS a 32 degree angle, which IS extreme. The reason that I put this here is because I think that A LOT of people start with the Feather, and when you go from a Feather to a "real" blade there is a major difference. I have already stated on other threads that I felt that the Feather is excellent prep for a straight, as I have no doubt most easily moved from that to my Livi and Dovo blades. When you watch the videos as a newbie, you see that most people are choosing their own angles because of the grinds of the blades. You get a Feather and try that and you kill yourself, just as some have already attested. I also feel that the less angle that you have on the blade, the more finesse you have, so I would actually argue the opposite than you. A "newbie" would have a better time with a non ground blade, as they would not have to account for angle whatsoever. It is when you master the other blades that you figure out how to change angles. So grinding is not for newbies I don't think, at least not until you ave become comfortable with the feather as is. It would be worth having a video on shaving with the Feather for new people I think.

One more thing, Tim also mentioned that in the store you can get the disposable safeties and cut them to fit the Feather. If that is something you want to do.

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Originally Posted by JGUNS

But Tim Mentioned that for his own Feather, which he uses when traveling and such, he has ground it down to about 15 degrees, which made it much more maneuverable. So I mention this so that any of you that have this blade, know that you can send it to classic shaving and Tim will grind it down for you for a small fee. It is definitely worth it.

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Two of the reasons the steel DX shaves better than the RG is the holder is thinner near the edge which allows you to get a slightly lower angle, and it's slighly lighter. It looks like Tim may have found the ultimate extension of these principles. I'm quite interested in getting this done to my DX - if it works as well as I think it will I may be selling off my razor collection here shortly.

Is this a service listed on their website, or is this a "call them up and talk with them" kind of thing?

Fully agree with OP, I found this out about this limitation of the shavette a while ago just through personal experience with it. It was one of the reasons that I stopped using it. I VERY much prefer to start my straight strokes with a very shallow angle almost flat against my face, and increase them to proper angle quickly after the start of the stroke -- this makes for smooth strokes right from the start (for me.)

I couldn't do that with the shavette -- and since the blades are viciously sharp, you have to be very careful.

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Originally Posted by mparker762

Two of the reasons the steel DX shaves better than the RG is the holder is thinner near the edge which allows you to get a slightly lower angle, and it's slighly lighter. It looks like Tim may have found the ultimate extension of these principles. I'm quite interested in getting this done to my DX - if it works as well as I think it will I may be selling off my razor collection here shortly.

Is this a service listed on their website, or is this a "call them up and talk with them" kind of thing?

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Yes, you just need to contact either Tim or classic shaving and tell him you want to get your DX ground down for less angle- he will know what you are talking about. I bet he doesn't charge you more than 15$ tops and that includes shipping it back.

This is very important I think. I did not realize this about the Feather at all until it was mentioned in a sort of offhand way. Then you look at the design and it just hits you over the head. The Feather was designed to give you the best shaving experience you can have with a disposable blade. An unforgiving edge, but with the build in angle, it isn't unforgiving anymore. So many people start with these, then they get frustrated and they get a regular straight and it seems easy. But all along they were applying angle to the Feather, probably giving a sharp as hell blade a 40 degree or more angle! Hell yes youre going to get cut! The Feather gives you the close shave the fastest between a regular and itself, but the regular straight is more comfortable and easier to use. Anyone that buys a Feather should be told about the angle straight away. :)

In my opinion, shaving with a Feather AC requires to be able to adjust to different conditions.
The first being blade exposure, specially if you change blade types. Each type presents a different angle to the skin.
The other condition is blade sharpness, a brand new blade will require less angle of attack, while a somewhat used blade will allow you to increase the angle.
Even though, I use different blades myself, I'd recommend getting used to the same blade type and exposure angle.

I tried the Feather AC and although it was an interesting experience I found it wasn't for me. Flat against the face gave a closer more comfortable shave, but the holder is flat ground. It was annoying having the holder suction to my lathered face even if only a little. My straights, even wedges don't give me lip like that. The Feather AC wasn't for me.

Chris L

I think that the Feather is great if you travel on business, but for many reasons that have been discussed at length on this board, using the more traditional straights is more fulfilling. But that is not the point of this post. It seems from the reactions I have seen on this board and many others, many don't realize the angle design. Any applied angle to the feather already puts it at an extreme one.

One thing many don't know is that you can take a Feather in your carry on, but it is unlikely that you will get a traditional straight through check in. For that and other reasons, it isn't a bad idea to own a Feather as part of your collection. Different times for different tools. But I would recommend getting used to shaving with it flat on your face as is, and then if your style of shaving demands you have more of an angle, you now have the option to get it ground. Also, there are other blades that you can put in it. I am not sure why the safety blade was recommended for it, but I guess you can cut those to fit too. :)