I am on my second Feather All Stainless DE razor...
...Why two?
The briefest of histories first. Until this May, I had only used an Atra cartridge razor since I started shaving in 1979 or so. In 1994, I bought a Dovo Special tortoise shell straight, and was probably just learning to use it well when my cartoonish stropping technique finally destroyed the edge. We'll get back to that straight in another thread.
In May of this year, I bought my first double edge razor, a chrome handled Merkur Futur. It's a wonderful razor. Then, after reading a very well written review of the Pils model 101NE stainless razor, I bought one. It worked very well from the first shave. So, I sold the Futur to a colleague.
Then, after a few deathmatch type posts comparing the Pils with the Feather All Stainless, I bought a Feather AS to compare them myself. I only used the Feather for a week, and couldn't get as good a shave from it as I could from my only other razor, the Pils. I concluded, after that week, that the Feather was not aggressive enough for me (as if it were something different about my beard, and not merely my skill using it), and sold it.
A few weeks later, after finding another copy of the chrome Futur for the same price I sold my original for, I replaced it. I found I could do much better with it than I could at first. That couple months of practice gave me the skill to get a shave from the Futur that I couldn't get before. So, I wondered, would the same effect apply to another Feather AS?
I got another Feather AS. And sure enough, I can now get perfect shaves with it easily. Every time. My angle was wrong the first week I used it, and I didn't own it long enough to figure that out.
As for the build quality of the Feather AS, it is simply perfect. In every way. There are no machining flaws whatsoever. This thing truly is a precision instrument. The performance is also perfect. Just perfect. No, it's not as aggressive as the Pils. But, it works perfectly. I find I can use it as cavalierly as I used my old Atra, and it delivers a better shave. I've never got a nick from it. I'm told a Tech is its closest comparison, but I've never had a tech.
The thing I like best about a stainless steel tool is its invincibility. I can clean this thing with scouring powder and an old toothbrush forever and never worry about damaging it. Of course, the same goes for the Pils. It works perfectly, it's invincible, what more could you want from a razor?
Is it worth $155? That's pretty subjective. I think it is, to me. But others here are perfectly correct when they point out that you can buy a handful of vintage razors for the cost of one of these things. You can buy two handfuls of vintage razors for the price of a Pils. It's a tough call on the value. If you can afford it, I don't think you'd be sorry to have one.