Gentlemen,
In my humble shave den, The Feather AS D-2 shares the Sweetness Crown with the Gillette Aristocrat. Through the years, I have floated with a parade of safety razors, vintage to modern, fancy to modest, mild to aggressive, and even the meanest — the Muhle R41.
My two Aristocrats are the 1946-47 models, and I am saving them for my grandsons. The Feather AS D-2 is the newest offering in the growing line of modern stainless steel safety razors. I might have to buy another Feather with the stand for the second grandson.
This is my second AS D-2, the fourth in the line of Feather AS razors I have owned. The original Feathers, which I no longer own, gave me a modestly close shave. The AS D-2 was a struggle for a while and eventually I let it grow. Yet, something kept drawing me to the razor and I finally purchased another. This time around, I'm in love with the razor.
Much has been written about the fit and finish of the Feather. It is a lovely work of art. The razor also has received mixed reviews in the closeness of the shave it provides. No, the Feather AS D-2 is not the Fatip, the R41 or the ATT H in aggressiveness. Rather, it is a mild razor that is also efficient, if used at the proper angle.
I dare say, initially it is somewhat of a difficult razor to use, because many shavers treat it as a regular safety razor that should be held at about a 20-degree to a 30-degree angle. Not so. The Feather requires about a 40-degree angle to reach its ultimate sweet spot. It finally took me a few shaves to zero in on the proper angle.
Held at the proper angle, the Feather AS D-2 is still a mild razor, especially for those with heavy beards, but despite that, I find it extraordinarily efficient. No, the shave on my neck especially is not perfect, but then no razor, safety or straight, satisfies me in that area completely. I suppose I could get a perfect shave on my neck with six or seven passes, but by then it will feel like a scrubbed wound.
My shaving motto is Comfort over Perfect. I would rather have a comfortable shave, weather using the straight or the safety razor, rather than an irritating perfect shave. This is especially significant for my daily shave because of an ultra sensitive skin. The Feather AS D-2 gives me the most comfortable shave of any razor I have used, straight or safety. Would I call it anything else but The Sweet Feather?
In the photo below, from left to right: Mongoose in the Jurgen Hempel handle; Feather in the middle; behind it, the Colonial Razors The General; on the right, the Above the Tie SE1 in the Jurgen Hempel handle; and in front, the Above the Tie Atlas M1. The blades are my preferred brands.
Gentlemen, do you have one safety razor in your shave den that really tickles your fancy as the Feather AS D-2 does mine?
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