Thread: Feather Artist Club SS.......First shave & I'm Impressed!

The guy I talked about the DX said that he wouldn't recommend it to anyone who hasn't mastered shaving with a straight. I have a year experience with a straight, so I think I'll feel comfortable with SS and Pro blades (not the supers).

I'll admit to trying only the Pro Guard blades in my Feather SS. I have all the other blades, but the shaves with the Pro Guards have been so forgiving and so smooth at the same time that I've seen no reason to try the others. The Pro Guards have little bumps near the edge that reduce the likelihood of cuts and scrapes. They don't eliminate the possibility. What eliminates that possibility, if you're careful with them, is using no pressure at all. You'll find that they are so sharp that there is no need for pressure at all. It won't feel like they are doing the job, that is, until you feel your face and see how smooth the shave is. I still prefer my regular straight razors most of the time, but that is not because they give me better shaves.

Originally Posted by Johnus

I have a Feather Artist folding razor and really like it. I use it on a regular bases in my rotation. Been curious about the non folding and read about a Korean clone, CJB Blade Handle, that uses the feather blades but is only a fraction of the cost. I've sent for one and should have it soon. Will let you all know when I've tried it out. (Hopeful)

Hey Johnus where did you find the CJB you ordered at?

I had 3 shaves with the Dorco blade on the Feather Artist SS razor. What a great feeling and BBS shaves! Wow! Thanks to MJC for sending them for me to try.
Let me backup a little. I started straight razor shaving and DE shaving (for cleanup) at the same time (previous electric shaver), November last year. As a young man, I had experience with the DE in my teens and that part came quick for me. In February, I went on a 10 day trip to Panama and took my Merkur Futur with me. One of the local blades they sell in Panama is the Dorco DE blades. That's where I tried them for the first time. I remember how comfortable a shave it was for WTG and XTG, but not so for AGT. The blades where cheap, readily available and gave a decent and very comfortable shave, no BBS however. The blades where good for one shave (sharpness issues) but the cost was low and made a sensible choice for someone on a budget (my student son). I brought some home with me for my son to try. Since then, I have read that Dorco factory have retool their machines recently for manufacturing blades.
Fast foward to present day, October 2012 and I'm shaving with a Korean Dorco blade made for the Feather SS and family razor. I was expecting not so sharp blade and that's why I moved it down the line for testing, for the sharper feather razors. I would have never bought it for myself, as I'm happy with the feather pro and pro-guards. I'm glad I tried them.
The blade is sharp and smooth feeling to my face. I compare the smoothness of the Dorco blade for Feather SS razor, to be almost, if not equally smooth, as my Sheffield steel on my face. Complete BBS in 3 passes. Try to go directly against the grain on my wire mustache stubbles, but desisted, as I felt it would bring weepers like the pro blade did. Besides, I don't use directly against the grain on my mustache, with most of my straight razors anyway.
So here is my rating so far, most real feel and forgiveness, goes to Feather pro-guard, follow by Feather pro and the Dorco been equal. For comfort, I'll choose the Dorco for my face. It feels like two different, but excellent razors, when I use it with different blades. It's good to have options.
Next I'll try the KIA Captain Mild follow by the Feather Super pro sent to me by Snuff! Thank you Ron for the super pro! Double O

P.S. One question remain for all the blades I tried so far. How long (shaves) would they last me?

Originally Posted by ace

I think the Feather SS is more forgiving than the earlier RG and DX models and would be perfect for someone starting out. I shaved at first with the Dovo Shavette and found that much less forgiving than the Feather SS.

Agree! My son with only 10 shaves straight razor experience, went to the Feather SS with pro-guard blades system. Now, with over 80-90 shaves, no cuts, one weeper, and he loves it! He does now all three passes for a total BBS shave. Double O

Originally Posted by Double0757

P.S. One question remain for all the blades I tried so far. How long (shaves) would they last me?

For me:

Pro-guard (tried them - bad shaves)
Lights (tried them - bad shaves)
Kai Milds - Pro - Super Pro and Dorco all give me 15 shaves, could go a little further but I just take a new blade every monday. There was a time that I stropped the blades and I could go about a month with a blade but I don't bother with that anymore.

When I started out with the feather/kai system I didn't get so many shaves out of a blade, but that's like someone who starts shaving with a straight, I couldn't get many shaves out of one without need for a touch up either. In time it gets a lot better.

I have a Dovo Shavette and a Feather and by far the Feather is the best but with respect to the Dovo I use the Dovo Brand DE blades that are around 3" long and if your just starting out the Dovo has a lower price point and is far more forgiving.

Originally Posted by Sightless

with respect to the Dovo I use the Dovo Brand DE blades that are around 3" long and if your just starting out the Dovo has a lower price point and is far more forgiving.

More forgiving to others blades within the Dovo shavette, or with the Feather system? Double O

Ok, another Wow blade! The Captain KIA mild Japanese blades are giving good competition to the feathers. The blade has a blue hue to it. I felt them as, or maybe (subjective), a tad sharper than the feather pro, pro guard and the Dorco's. Very smooth also and as forgiving as all the others (except the pro guards (more forgiving), and I have to go back to it to refresh my memory). It gave me total BBS in two passes and a DFS in one pass. With four shaves on the blade I felt press to look it up on the Internet and found some suppliers in the US. They are a little better price than the Feathers and have other models as well. They even have one with the guard on them. The mild's are 24 to a box, for the same price as 20 of the Feathers. And the guards are 18 to a box, vs 15 of the Feathers (any body have tried the Captain KIA guards?). I'm definitely would be getting more of this blades in the future.
As far as my testing, I'm 52 (thicker facial hair) of Latin and Irish decent (thick hair in some areas like mustache and chin, and thinner on the sides). I use the same long beard prep for two of the shaves and my short, but effective prep, for the other two. Same four different soaps for each of the shaves and about the same growth of hair, 24 or 36 hours about. I have found some consistencies on the test about the soaps and the short prep with different soaps, but that is another topic for another area of the forum.
Now I'm out to test the last one of the bunch, the super pro feathers, sent to me by Snuff, all the way from Belgium (big thanks). These test take a while as I'm also experimenting and enjoying shaves with my full steel shaves. After I test the last, I'll go back and see how long each blade last me.
Thanks for reading Double O

I also liked the KAI milds or pinks (plasma Ion Kai´s) i tried them on my KAI Captain Excelia razor and got very good shaves. There is one vendor in the usa as far as i know but i dont know if i can call by their name here without violating the rules of the forum. Anyway they are a terrific blades and razor´s too.

Sergio