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

My impression is that Feather has made some minor refinements and modifications to the older models. However, I don't know that they necessarily perform any better because I do not own all of them.

Originally Posted by MJC

Have you gotten to compare the SS to the original DX/RG style and if so what did you think?

That's the only one I've tried. This is the new model SS and cost less, $99.00 vs $199.00 for the same stainless steel model. The older model have a more slick looking blade and different handle. All I can tell you that it is well made, feels solid in the hands and easy to maneuver around the face (actually very good handling). Double O

Thanks...this is giving me some ideas...

Originally Posted by MJC

Have you gotten to compare the SS to the original DX/RG style and if so what did you think?

I've had all of the models except for the SS non folding and if I have to compare them I would say that my preference goes to the DX. It's gives me a somewhat better shave (minor difference). On the other hand the DX might be less suited for people that are prone to nick themselves easily and the head of the razor has the tendency to stick to the skin when a small angle is used.

The SS is definitely the easiest of them all, especially now that for 2012 they have made a adjustment to the head. Don't know if you can see it on the picture



Where this SS shines is when used for shaving my head, it's much faster then with a DX, you really have to do stupid stuff like making a horizontal move to cut yourself with this SS. That being said I'm going to stick to my DX/RG's and let this one go.

I may be crazy, but I swear that on one of the sites I saw a plastic clip-on guard that would keep you from damaging the blade.

Currently on a trip, using the Feather Clone (CJB) and since you can't leave it out I've been putting the blade in "upside down" (not all the way in) to be able to pack it away. Please let me know if you have a link...

And I like this more every day...I've already decided this is going to be my travel system for Straight shaving in the future.

This time when I found it I made sure that I could get back to it...
and of course its out of stock:

Feather Plastic Protector for Artist Club SS Japanese Razors

First - Thanks to all of the great notes and tips from this thread, this would have been much harder (and bloodier) with out them...

Razor - Korean CJB Non Folding (Clone)
Blades - Feather Pro for all but one...Dorco for one.
Shave system - Cold Water, Proraso soap, creme. (thats a whole other thread)

The basics - I wanted to try this to see if I could come up with a simpler system for travel. I travel a lot, and most of the time I'm gone long enough that I can check a bag. But when you travel you are under a constant time crunch. So i thought a low/no maintenance razor might help.
My system before was to take 2-3 "travel team" razors and a strop. The kit gets smaller in a hurry with one Feather Type and a pack of blades...

So I try this for a week before I leave for a 12 day, 5 hotel, three flight, two train, two country trip. (also traveled by boat, bus and car)
Glad that I did, the first shave was close, and bloody. Mostly weepers, a couple of nicks. I thought it was the Dorco blade...it was all operator error. Too much pressure and angle for the system. Change to a Feather Pro for shave #2 and dial down the pressure and things get better every day. Shave for a week on the single Feather Pro blade and its still doing well. Leave the blade at home and start with a fresh one at stop #1.
Again the only problems are operator errors, mostly brief lapses in focus only to be jolted back to the here and now by a nick.
Get careless or over confident and "there will be blood".

Now for the good news.

This is my travel shave system for the future.
It is also the best one pass straight razor shave I've had. With one careful WTG and one XTG you can be at DFS or DFS+, and its BBS in all but the most problem areas.
You do have to stay with it for 5+ shaves to get the hang of it (IMHO)

Since I did not want to leave the razor out and I did not want it banging around I tried putting the blade in upside down after cleaning. Careful not to put the blade in more that 50%, I was able to use the same blade for 10 shaves. It was probably ready for a change after shave 10 but remember that I also was reversing the blade, packing this for travel and I probably did not help it any in the process.

These things are just plain scary sharp...its a good thing, but any lack of focus will be punished...

If I did not love my "Conventional" Straight Razors so much this is what I would use every day. But conventional straights are much more forgiving and the shaving experience for me is just better with that W&B or Boker or Wostenholm that waits patiently for you in the drawer...

On the other hand there is something to be said about knowing that doinking the edge on the faucet is only going to slow you down for less than a minute as you change blades...and set you back maybe $0.75...

Thanks again to all for the great tips.

Originally Posted by MJC

These things are just plain scary sharp...its a good thing, but any lack of focus will be punished...

If I did not love my "Conventional" Straight Razors so much this is what I would use every day. But conventional straights are much more forgiving and the shaving experience for me is just better with that W&B or Boker or Wostenholm that waits patiently for you in the drawer...

On the other hand there is something to be said about knowing that doinking the edge on the faucet is only going to slow you down for less than a minute as you change blades...and set you back maybe $0.75...

Thanks again to all for the great tips.

Like I said before, my son has the folding new SS with pro guard blades. The blades are the most expensive of the bunch. To my observation this is because the manufacturing process is different to the others blades. The pro guards, have perpendicular ribs along the entire blade, that go almost to the edge. I imagine it gives rigidity to the length of the blade, making it more forgiving( not bending and digging in the skin) than it would with out it.

I tried it for a fourths time the other day. I didn't have much time for the shaving ritual of stropping before and after. After getting a good face lather, I shaved in two passes(WTG and ATG) for an almost BBS. The blade felt very much like my regular razors, maybe not like my Wostenholm, but very close. Found it very forgiving and smooth sharp. Liked it so much that I'm buying one for myself and use it for regular rotation and travel.

My son has been getting about 13-15 shaves per blade. The cost of 15 blades is $25.00 shipped in the US. That is $1.66 per blade for a .12 cents to .11 cents per shave. That is as cheap as a DE shave.

Hope this helps Double O

Originally Posted by Double0757

My son has been getting about 13-15 shaves per blade. The cost of 15 blades is $25.00 shipped in the US. That is $1.66 per blade for a .12 cents to .11 cents per shave. That is as cheap as a DE shave.

Hope this helps Double O

I have not had a chance to try the Pro Guard Blade yet. When I bought the CJB I was able to buy Feather Pro's and Dorcos at the same time to help average down the shipping costs. It ends up about the same as the bulk buy deals on the bay, you can get 4 boxes of 20 - 80 blades for $48 Delivered. Dorco's are about 20% less - nets out to $0.60/blade for the Pro.

I figure its like shaving with a DE, different blades for different beards so I will end up trying them all.

Like you I've found that this has become part of my rotation.

And Hat Tip to all for the support, I don't think I would have tried this if not for the info on this thread....and I would have missed a great shaving experience.....

I thought I was the only one who ever clanged the faucet with my SR. It only needed one time to keep me from ever doing it again. The Super blades easily handled 7 shaves with my dense, tough beard. I could probably push them further, but why? The Supers are so sharp that I think I will order the other two blade types just to see how they feel. It sounds like the ProGuard version is the most similar to a standard SR. Thanks to all of the contributors here for the valuable anecdotal feedback.