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

I love my feather SS, it was the only "straight" I could keep with me at my girlfriends apartment...tiny bathroom, and she cluttered the sink up with her stuff. I still break it out time to time, and enjoy it everytime I do.

Originally Posted by Gammaray

The Feather Super blades are truly incredible. After the eighth shave mine still easily passes the HHT at ~3-4 level anywhere along the edge. I am going to continue to push this blade a little further until it gives me an inadequate shave. But honestly I cannot tell any difference between my first shave and the eighth. Amazing.

Gammaray - Are you using a SS, RG, DX, KAI, CJB or "other" and is is fixed or folding?

The Feather lite blades IMO are not worth buying three shaves and you may as well bin them, but on the other hand the Pro blades just go on forever I've had as many as 15 20 shaves from one blade, the Pro guard well I've never tried them, but a word of warning regarding the Feather super Pro they should carry a health warning be careful the blade protrudes far to much from the razor and will eventually get and get you badly. I wouldn't buy them.

Jamie

Originally Posted by celticcrusader

The Feather lite blades IMO are not worth buying three shaves and you may as well bin them, but on the other hand the Pro blades just go on forever I've had as many as 15 20 shaves from one blade, the Pro guard well I've never tried them, but a word of warning regarding the Feather super Pro they should carry a health warning be careful the blade protrudes far to much from the razor and will eventually get and get you badly. I wouldn't buy them.

Jamie

Thanks for that tip about the Feather Super Pro - I don't really need to find any new ways to Cut/nick/scrape/slash/gash/flense/weeper myself...
Have some Lights that came with an SS I picked up but I've not had a chance to use them..partly because it takes so long to wear out the other blades.
I am curious about how the Dorco Super BB compares to the Feather Pro - they appear to have the same amount of exposure.

The Question - knowing what you know now, would you recommend that a new SR shaver consider a Feather SS as a first razor?

I think the SS is a very good starting point for someone new to straight razor shaving.
There's no stropping or honing, and this means they can concentrate on the basic techniques of straight razor shaving - allowing them to grow in confidence.
When they progress to proper straight razors they will know what a sharp blade feels like and this will at least give them some idea of when a blade is right or wrong.
Yes, there are issues re learning to adjust the blade angle and the fact that it is nigh on impossible to obtain a "Feather' sharpness to a traditional straight razor, but these factors are not too difficult to adjust to.

As long as you use the pro guard blade I see no problem as a new comer to this style of shaving, then eventually give the feather Pro blade a go.

Jamie.

Originally Posted by MJC

Thanks for that tip about the Feather Super Pro - I don't really need to find any new ways to Cut/nick/scrape/slash/gash/flense/weeper myself...
Have some Lights that came with an SS I picked up but I've not had a chance to use them..partly because it takes so long to wear out the other blades.
I am curious about how the Dorco Super BB compares to the Feather Pro - they appear to have the same amount of exposure.

The Question - knowing what you know now, would you recommend that a new SR shaver consider a Feather SS as a first razor?

Originally Posted by MJC

The Question - knowing what you know now, would you recommend that a new SR shaver consider a Feather SS as a first razor?

Yes Mark, my son started DE shaving, about the same time I started straight, October of last year. Some time this year he decided to give the straight a try. He started with a Torrey I had restored, but he didn't get but maybe 10 shaves on it till he got the Feather SS end of July. Now, for the last two months he has used the SS for every shave. He doesn't use the DE any more.
His stroping was lacking, the times I tried his blade (Torrey). With the pro-guard, he hasn't cut or nick himself so far. He still doing WTG and AXG, and just started ATG. He has commented to me how much he enjoys the shaves with the SS, he never sounded as excited with the Torrey. So I say yes, it is a great way for some one new to straight to get started. Double O

Some good points above and I do feel better about recommending it for a newbie..

SS Folding - it's easier to keep the blade from getting damaged or damaging you.
Feather Pro Guard Blades - I would imagine that the Kai Captain Mild Guard Blades would be similar - cheaper but harder to find (I see a test....)

The Con's

• It's sharp, but then again it is a razor...its supposed to be sharp.
• May be hard to explain how light you have to be on the touch, but a nice case of razor burn never killed anyone (that I know of) and most don't make that mistake 2X..
• (Please fill in the blanks)

The Pro's
I

• t's sharp...and if you mess it up it will be sharp again for less than $2 (way less if you shop around) and three minutes of your time.
• Fewer variables - part of the steep learning curve is there are so many skill sets to master at once, and they all effect the outcome of the shave. And you don't know what you don't know..you already have to learn prep and lather and stropping - after the shave its post shave care of your razor blah blah blah.
• No stropping - I read so many threads with the line: "I think I ruined my razor" - they may have, they may not have but they have brought doubt in to the equation....
• Speeds the process up - not that SR shaving is for those in a hurry, but it does take some time off of the process, both for the new guy and the older hands..
• (Please fill in the blanks)

Originally Posted by MJC

Some good points above and I do feel better about recommending it for a newbie..

SS Folding - it's easier to keep the blade from getting damaged or damaging you.
Feather Pro Guard Blades - I would imagine that the Kai Captain Mild Guard Blades would be similar - cheaper but harder to find (I see a test....)


The Pro's
I

• t's sharp...and if you mess it up it will be sharp again for less than $2 (way less if you shop around) and three minutes of your time.
• Fewer variables - part of the steep learning curve is there are so many skill sets to master at once, and they all effect the outcome of the shave. And you don't know what you don't know..you already have to learn prep and lather and stropping - after the shave its post shave care of your razor blah blah blah.
• No stropping - I read so many threads with the line: "I think I ruined my razor" - they may have, they may not have but they have brought doubt in to the equation....
• Speeds the process up - not that SR shaving is for those in a hurry, but it does take some time off of the process, both for the new guy and the older hands..
• (Please fill in the blanks)

Very good points. You wouldn't have to spend 45 min. a shave. Specially at the beginning, when learning. Just learn one thing at a time. More people would/could get into it and since you take less time per shave, you would shave more often (use of alternate method due to time). Once you get quick good shaves, you can add stropping and then maintaining the blade on the same amount of time, and you would have a reference of what a good straight razor shave should be, like it was mention before.
Lots of people start on shavettes, why not on something like the real thing with minimal investment.
About the only thing missing would be the nostalgia of shaving with an 80-100 year old instrument. Which is motivation enough to learn stropping and honing for me. Double O

I love my RG with pro or supers in it. I have to remember to keep it a bit flatter When switching from an all steel straight.

When you guys put these in your rotation, do let the blade sit in the razor till it comes up again (could be a week for me), or do you take it out and do something to prevent rust from forming?

I find it could take months to use the blade to its potential unless I stick with it for a week solid. I know I'm tossing it before its time just because I don't that its sat around for a few weeks in the razor.