Finally tried 'em. I think I hate these blades. Well, hate is too strong. My face does not like it when I use them.
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Finally tried 'em. I think I hate these blades. Well, hate is too strong. My face does not like it when I use them.
Two of my sons like them, the other just breaks out with razor burn from them. I don't mind them myself, but i think the best blades are the Astra superior platinum.
I am also trying Merkur right now. They seem to do just fine. The Feathers just aggravate my face. I do not consider myself to have sensitive skin. I might try the Astra one of these days.
There's two things you can try:
1. Adjust your technique, use NO pressure whatsoever.
2. Cork the blade a couple times.
I should state for the record that I love Feathers (and don't like Merkur blades) so I am biased. :w
Might try that. I do think I was using very light pressure with a Gillette slim set to 1. The last time I used an open comb Gillette, one of the heavy ones and my face was really irritated. I did not cut myself so I am assuming my pressure is ok. Meaning, I am not really using pressure.
I'm about 7 packs into a large "sample pack" ( I try 1 blade from each), by far I love the feather the most.
I treat the DE razor like I do my straight, very little pressure. I am using a vintage Gillette.
I like the Feather but I like the Gillette 7 O Clock even better. They are both amongst the sharpest blades out there. Like they said watch your pressure when you use them but it is possible they are not a good match for your face.
I have tried the Gillette 7 o'clock too. They were very agreeable. They might be the ones I go to but I do wanna try Astra blades.
so far in my search for MY BLADE i just used a Feather for the first time this morning .. " WOW" my Gillette Super Speed LOVES them .. ive had my best DE shave to date with that combo ... now i hope they work just as good in my Slim ,and my 2 techs so i can stick with one blade .!!!
ive tried
Wilkinson
Derby
$ store
Lord Platinum
Shark
Dorco
Feathers
I determined long ago that I am not man enough for Feather blades. I like Merkur the best.
I must say that I am a convert to feather. I used Astra super platinum and SS for years and now, even though I can only use the blade twice (third time pulls harder than a Tijuana hooker), I reach for the Muhle R41 Grande and a feather almost every shave now. Also I have found that Feather's tend to like it when you have more stubble, so now I shave every 3 days and get BBS and no burn. YMMV
Oddly enough the only other blade that I like in the R41 is the derby....I couldnt complete a shave with an astra locked in.
Oh and I despise Merkur blades...Good for taking paint off windows, bad for taking stuble off my face.
Bah! There's no such thing. Everyone will find a blade that works for them. This idea that you HAVE to use Feather is insane. I've heard of so many guys putting themselves though pain and agony for what seems to be the privilege to say that use Feather. Personally I wouldn't use Merkur to open boxes but that's because its not a good blade for me. Kai and Treet work well on my beard. The point is, when you find the perfect blade it will be obvious. Its takes trial and error but eventually you'll find it.
Feathers are awesome if you have a sensitive skin. I have a sensitive skin, and I find the best blade is the one that does the job faster, and cleaner. I said it in other posts and feel like I'm being annoying saying the same things over and over again, but to me, a razor can"t be "too sharp"? it can certainly feel too sharp, which I believe is what people tend to think when the blade is uncomfortable. The closer to perfection the blade, the sharper; and the less flaws an edge shows, the smoothest.
A blade which does its job effortlessly means it cuts of the hair without disturbing your skin (pulling, scratching), because you can use minimal pressure with results. Yes, you have to be careful, because IF YOU DO SOMETHING you should not have, and feed your Feather skin, it'll eat it no problem. But I find with my sensitive skin, a duller blade is an issue, and their's no remedy to that. With a Feather, there's a remedy, which is to simply improve your technique, be more careful, and shave better.
I use Astras SP because they're se cheap, and are sharp enough I find. But I throw in a Feather, from time to time - it's always a treat!
I'll try one in my new merkur slant tonight.
That's what I've got too. You're going to enjoy, I'm quite sure.
Gentlemen,
Feather blades are hit-and-miss, plus-or-minus with shavers. Some like them and some can't stand them. These days I like the Feather, although in the past I've had a like-and-dislike relationship with them. They are superb blades, and possibly the sharpest blades on earth. For me, they deteriorate after the third shave. On the other hand, if I were to go with one blade only in all my DE razors, it would be the Super Iridium. For me, this blade is magical. It may not be as sharp as the Feather, but I find it overall superior to the Feather. But, yes, every DE shaver should try the Feather at least once. As for Merkur blades, oh, dear, dear . . .
well another good shave with a feather today .. this time in a Gillette Travel Tech ... if i can get the same result out of the slim i think im set ... i havent tried any of the Gillette blades yet and might do so though ... but right now its Feather #1 Derby #2 and $ store blades #3
Very sharp blades, must be used with caution! I quit buying them, they were tearing up my face.
I remember when I first used Feather blades, they did give me razor burn. These are a very sharp blade, only require very very little pressure, and the proper angle to shave with them. Once I figured that out, no more razor burn and now they are one of my favorites. Feathers and Derby's are the only two blades that I use, when I do shave with a DE razor.
Feathers are the sharpest. I get along OK with them, but my favorites are Medical Personna (Personna Prep Blades) and Astra Superior Platinum. Sharp enough to get the best possible shave.
I think 40 years of multiblade razors made me immune to any double edge blade.
For me, the Feathers are the best for my face with the Gillette 7 o'clock a close second.
They've worked in every one of my vintage and new DE's so far. It's true, very light pressure (you'll learn the new meaning for light :)), an proper angle.
Just tried some Bolzano's (sp) in my vintage Bakelite slant....no bueno lol
I'll add my tuppence worth and say that I'm more than happy with Tesco "own brand" blades, which seem to be a repackaged Israeli/Personna blade.
. being used to a cartridge requires pressure in order to obtain a smooth shave. The change to a double edge razor requires using less pressure. Using a feather razor blade with the pressure that we utilize with the cartridge head will be a dangerous situation.. so in my opinion the use of a feather razor blade requires a feathers touch.
Ok, I manned up again and tried the Feather blades. This time it was a lot better. I am not saying they are my favorite but it worked. I was so cautious during the shave that I could not really enjoy it. I was walking on eggshells to avoid any pressure at all. In the end, no razor burn and the alum/asl only had a slight sting to it.
I like Feather blades both in the DE and also in the Feather Artist Club straight, you don't get that many shaves though from the DE about 3 to 4 max, on the other hand if you use the Feather AC straight type Feather when using the Pro blade you can get over 15 shaves per blade, the Feather light blades are pretty poor you will only get around 4 shaves in the Feather AC using those blades.
Jamie
When I first started DE shaving, I bought a 50 count bundle of Feathers. From time to time I would try them, but they always roasted my face. I think they are a quality product, but we are not compatible! But I would recommend to all DE shavers to try them.
funny I came to this forum section tonight to sing the praises of the Feathers! Different strokes, I guess. For me, they are the best I've used so far, the comfort unsurpassed by any other shaving experience I've had. (blasphemy alert) It is making me second guess even having a straight!
I just spent a week away from home and rather than pack my straight, I took my R41 and a pack of Feathers. It seems I only get 3 good shaves from a Feather blade. After that I get razor burn, as in, exactly my shaving area is bright red for a while until the after shave and moisturizer kick in. Switch to a fresh blade: no problem, no redness. It surprises me but that's my experience. But when they're right and in an R41, they're the next best thing to a straight.
Try using them in a Feather or iKon DE or a Joris if you prefer a more aggressive razor. Big difference...IMHO
My two cents: They are my favorite. 2nd best for me is Lord Platinum.
I get zero alum sting 4 out of 5 shaves with the Feathers. I felt like you at first, overly cautious and for good reason, but I got much better with them.
Does anyone else besides me get more shaves out of Feathers as well?
I really like Wilkinson Sword blades. I have a heavy beard and they cut really close with no irritation at all/
I've tried to use the Feathers on multiple occasions. They will shave you close, but they just aren't a match for my skin. I've never gotten razor burn with a straight, but Feathers roast me alive. I do recommend to all wetshavers to try them as they are wicked sharp.
Feather blades are my favorite DE blades ( the sharpest of all blades Ninja sharp which I love) , it works very well for me when I use my IKON DE. I, like the others have said use very light pressure; I just use the weight of the razor with no pressue. This is where big heavy DE razors come in handy.
The Feathers seem to work best in a Feather or iKon razor and the Sharks/Voskhods seem to work with any razor IMHO
I tried feather and at first did not get on with them, I then tried several other blades and when I tried Feathers again a few months later they seemed like a totally different blade and now these are all I use if I go for a DE. I use a Merkur Vision and easily get 5 shaves
I can get about 5 shaves out of the feather blades; of course the 3rd and 4th shave is not nearly as good as the first and 2nd, but it is still an acceptable smooth face shave. When I get to 4th and 5th shave , I definitely have to use more pressure and will receive a couple of minor nicks. However, I stil do not receive razor burn. I have a challenging face to shave , a double chin with an cleft in the lower chin.
The important idea here for me is to try as many different blades as possible And find the one that works best for me ma and my skin. For me I like Feather blades they work best for me.
When I first tried them in my Merkur, I absolutely didn't like them but really it was because I was pressing down too much. It was at the very beginning of moving away from disposable multiblade heads so I was used to using firm pressure.
Now I wouldn't use anything else. Both in my Merkur and my vintage Gillette DE, the Feather blades give a great shave AND last a long time before they need to be replaced. It's all about using the least amount of pressure and figuring out the best angle for your skin.
+1 on liking super iridiums more than feathers. They seem to be as sharp but way smoother.