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

I am going to read this thread again several times....

I am trying to learn with a Shavette. Look, going from a Fusion and Canned cream to a good brush and all this stuff is so much. Please don't call me a heretic. And if I buy a real straight razor, strop my wife will kill me. To much new in the bathroom. It is better to move slowly.

I have so much to learn. Technique, technique....

Just preparing the face takes time, it is fun but everything for a newbie is so much. I just want to focus on slow and easy and let the rest come with time. I do travel some and having a good alternative like this is a plus.

I need to read more and figure out what model and blades to try. Again, it is not so much about money as keeping accessories to a minimum and getting into this slowly. Please feel free to give me your advice. I am 50. There is no way if I bought all the accessories and the best of the best I could use them properly. That is just being honest. I really feel this will take time. Time well spent!

You can't go wrong with a Feather SS with Pro Guard blades. The entire outlay should cost you no more than $125 or thereabouts. A Feather SS sold in the classifieds recently for $100. The blades last a long time, require no maintenance, and the shaves are as close and easy, once you get the hang of it, as any shaves I've had. If you get the Feather SS working well, you can always branch out into "real" straights, but you may neither need nor want to.

I' m trying to reach a member on my local forum, he is selling a Feather AC dx for 120€. I think it's a bargain don't you?

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.

How about KAI?

It certainly is worth a try (Feather SS). Especially if the Pro-blades are forgiving.

I must say I have cut myself a few times. What I have learned.....

No pressure, and I only due one pass. I shave at night before bed as I have more time. Watching videos makes it seem so easy. And I have seen videos with Shavette, Parker, Feather, Real Straight Razors. I just need to be patient as it takes time. No five minute shave and no hacking like I did with the Fusion.

It will be interesting to compare the Shavette to the Feather SS. But being new and inexperienced it is all dangerous. Maybe that is what I like, living on the edge? In the end it is a sense of accomplishment. I just need to get there.

Originally Posted by Jock

How about KAI?

I've tried the blades (good) but not the razors.
Understand they have a similar profile to the Feather DX/RG.
They also have a high finish (read +$$$) and "base" models.
Do not seem to be as easy to find in the US.

Originally Posted by kg4fxg

It certainly is worth a try (Feather SS). Especially if the Pro-blades are forgiving.

I must say I have cut myself a few times. What I have learned.....

No pressure, and I only due one pass. I shave at night before bed as I have more time. Watching videos makes it seem so easy. And I have seen videos with Shavette, Parker, Feather, Real Straight Razors. I just need to be patient as it takes time. No five minute shave and no hacking like I did with the Fusion.

It will be interesting to compare the Shavette to the Feather SS. But being new and inexperienced it is all dangerous. Maybe that is what I like, living on the edge? In the end it is a sense of accomplishment. I just need to get there.

Your plan to read the thread all the way through is a good one, I did the same before I gave it a try.

And in the situation you describe - wanting to keep the clutter/gear/variables to a minimum the SS Folding and Pro Guard or Pro Blades would be the way to go.

IMHO much easier to master than the Shavette as long as you take your time, keep the pressure and angle low.

The SS has a different leading edge than the DX/RG etc. and that seems to make the system not only easier to master - you also get a more SR like shave and many of the users are getting an amazing number of shaves out of a blade.

I like being able to wet shave with the SS in the same time as it would take me to DE - getting to DFS or DFS+ in 1 pass and touch up. And if I have a little more time being able to get a BBS+.

Knowing what I know now...if I was starting over (SR Shaving) the SS would have been one of my first 3 razors instead of #40 something...
And of course...YMMV...

The SR-like shave is what I'm looking for, so I think I'll go with the SS.

Just a reminder to those considering the Feather straight. The folding model is more forgiving than the Japanese (non-folding) style. This is primarily due to the ability to hold the correct angle during the shave. The Western style folding model definitely holds the angle more solidly, particularly when going against the grain. The round handle and light touch required of the Japanese model can tip up quickly and easily, resulting in an instant weeper. The Super blades are especially dangerous. These bad boys gave me a couple of weepers in 10 shaves that were as deep as I have gotten in 30 years of shaving. If you are new to SR shaving then I highly recommend the Feather folding model with the Pro blades - anything but the Supers!