Thread: The Sweet Feather

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?

I've only used vintage Gillettes, so I really can't contribute much here.

I have had both the Feather 1 and the 2. I still have the two and as Obie says it is a very well made and attractive razor. These days my go to razor is the Mongoose. The feather is a mild razor and for me there is simply no contest between the Feather and the Mongoose result wise. I know some have comfort issues with the Mongoose and it can bite if you are not careful but compared to the R41 it's a sweetie.

In threads asking if you could only keep one razor which would it be, I've always replied that it would be impossible for me to pick just one. Now that has changed. At least in the DE camp. The Razorock Wunderbar is the king of the hill AFAIC.

I haven't seen a Feather in person, and I'm sure the Wunderbar doesn't come up to the same level of fit and finish, but it is a great slant (twisted head) razor. The equal of the slant I formerly rated the best, the Merkur.

It is 'better', for me, because it is stainless steel, and as aggressive, if not a bit more so. As far as fit and finish, it is a fine DE razor. I'd also rate the Above The Tie slants, the bar guard, and the open comb quite highly.

I can also add that I am right with Obie as to blades. With the exception of the iridium, which I haven't tried .... yet ..... the Feather, Gillette 7 O'Clock, and the Astra are go to blades for me.

Guys I'm sorry for asking such a dumb question, but I known little or nothing about safety razors. What exactly do you guys mean when you call a particular razor a slant?

I gave my AS D-2 to my son, when I stopped using DE's, but also because I wanted to give him what I thought was the best DE available at the time. Whether a DE or an SE, I prefer a milder razor but with a very sharp blade. The AS D-2 with a Feather Pro blade was perfect for me, and my son reports that he enjoys using it as much as I did. I always got a smooth, irritation free yet close shave with it. If I didn't fall in love with using straights, I'd probably still be using one. Nice review, Obie.

Originally Posted by KenWeir

Guys I'm sorry for asking such a dumb question, but I known little or nothing about safety razors. What exactly do you guys mean when you call a particular razor a slant?

Ken,
The slant razor twists the blade in the shave head in such a way that the cutting edge somewhat resembles the slicing motion of the guillotine. On the other hand, the shave head in some slants, like the iKon Shavecraft 102, sits at an angle on the handle, cutting in the same way as, again, the guillotine. I do have the iKon and find it a comfortable and efficient shaver. My Feather is still king, though.

Originally Posted by KenWeir

Guys I'm sorry for asking such a dumb question, but I known little or nothing about safety razors. What exactly do you guys mean when you call a particular razor a slant?

Ken, I'm glad you asked. Obie gave the exactly correct answer, but to expand a bit, and mention one of my pet peeves. Back in the old days, maybe 20 years ago, they were referred to as "twisted head" razors. Mulcato made a razor with the head mounted at an angle to the handle, IOW, on a slant. Strictly speaking that is a 'slant' razor. The Ikon Shavecraft 102, mentioned by Obie, is a copy of that Mulcato.

The twisted head razors began being called 'slant heads' after the Internet shaving forums sprouted up. The name has taken hold and nobody refers to the more accurate 'twisted head' to describe these wonderful shaving instruments any more. In the excellent compendium by collectors Don and Mary Perkins, "Safety Razors, A Price Guide" (circa 1995) these 'slants' are always referred to, as all collectors did back then as 'twisted heads.'



Here is a Mulcato true Slant head. The box reads 'Schrag Schnitt which translates to 'diagonal cut' IIRC. The Razorock Wunderbar, and a Merkur 37C. Illustrating why 'twisted head' is a more accurate description than 'slant'. As an aside, when I used to peruse German ebay in search of obscure twisted head razors the sellers frequently referred to both slants and twisted heads as Schrag Schnitt, which translates to 'diagonal cut' IIRC.

Thanks both of you for explaining it so clearly. Formerly, when I saw a slant or twisted head razor, I thought it was bent from abuse or run over in a parking lot. Now I know better

My two Charcoal Goods (level 3) very aggressive razors are my current razors of choice. Both are solid brass and as one person said I am an "aggressive junkie". I also own a stainless steel PAA DOC (double open comb) that is very aggressive as well. In deed the Feather is a work of art but doesn't satisfy me as the shave is not close enough. However, yesterday while traveling I did use a generic three blade cartridge razor. Also used Barbasol (can). Please don't tell anyone. The shave was very good.