Thread: No more straights! Going all feather!

Ok so that's BS but I got your attention. Over the past several weeks I have been doing some serious experimenting with the feather system. All I can say is these things are like a good farm mule. You cant hook em up wrong! Kinda feel like my straights are being neglected, but I want to give the full system a real shot. They are not real straights but the shave is so good it doesn't matter. Have a couple more weeks of using the other styles an making my way through the blade choices. I expect nothing less then amazing. Which brought me to the question, since they are so easy to take care of an sharpness is just a blade change away, "I wonder if anyone has abandoned real straights for the ease of this system"?

I have a parker shavette with feather blades. I still use it occasionally and can get really good shaves. My only complaint with the shavette vs the straight is that the shaves "don't last as long". I can ALMOST go 2 days between straight shaves, but have obvious growth within 24 hours post shavette. Same with DE - I shaved with my DE this morning because I was in a hurry and will definitely be having to shave early tomorrow.

Originally Posted by MajorEthanolic

I have a parker shavette with feather blades. I still use it occasionally and can get really good shaves. My only complaint with the shavette vs the straight is that the shaves "don't last as long". I can ALMOST go 2 days between straight shaves, but have obvious growth within 24 hours post shavette. Same with DE - I shaved with my DE this morning because I was in a hurry and will definitely be having to shave early tomorrow.

i was thinking about picking up a Feather Shavette, but its like $120, so i wanted to ask you, do the longer feather blades work with and fit into the Parker Shavette razors?

@boarder277: Actually, I just looked up my previous razor orders and I mispoke - I use Shark blades with my Parker S1 shavette and feather blades with my DE. I looked up feather shavettes when I first started this process, but boy are those expensive!! For the same price I could get a straight and felt like I got better shaves.

Originally Posted by Boarder277

i was thinking about picking up a Feather Shavette, but its like $120, so i wanted to ask you, do the longer feather blades work with and fit into the Parker Shavette razors?

For the sake of clarification - a "Shavette" is normally a reference to a shaving system that uses 1/2 of a DE Blade or a whole DE blade with only one edge exposed at a time.

Up from there is the Dovo system - I don't have any experience with them - someone will chime in please?

The Feather system has a several variants and with it several blade choices.

Razors can be Fixed - Kamisori style or folding.

At the low end price wise you have the CJB - a clone of the Feather RG Fixed that can be had for under $40 with a little searching.
At the upper end is the Feather DX (fixed and folding) and the Kai Excela that can get to the Two Benjamin range.
In between is the Feather SS, RG, Standard Kai.

Blades? Feather has the Super (sticks out farther) Pro, Pro Guard and Lights.
Kai has a Pink Mild and their version of the Pro Guard
Dorco from Korea makes a Super which very close to the Feather Pro. Good value but they are "Gray Market" so sometimes hard to find.

A little searching and you can get a Pro blade for $12/pack of 20 or $.60 each and with practice get 14-20 shaves out of one, we have members who get over a month out of a blade. Very YMMV.

The appeal? They are so sharp that you can get a DFS in one pass and a BBS in two (again, YMMV)
If you travel and can work out the logistics this is the best system I have found - A razor and almost a years worth of blades take as much room as a toothbrush holder.
A perfect edge is only seconds and less than $1 away.
The variables of stropping, razor care, sink dinking and "is it my technique or have I rolled the edge" are gone.
They are a commodity - so they hold their value, are easy to trade and maintain.

Starting out? Look for a used SS Folding and either Feather Pro guard (cost more, don't last as long for some but they seem to be a little easier to master for many) or Pro or Dorco Super blades.
Give it a week, you will cut and weeper yourself until you learn to dial down the angle and pressure and let the edge to the work. (There will be blood)
CJB's are another option but learning the way of the fixed is easy for some, and not so for others...

I've shaved with almost all of the Feather line and the CJB Fixed (and even the folding) and the Kai Excela. And I've used shavettes and "real straights" from 5/8 Whipped Doggies to 9/8 Lewis...
When I can my razor or choice is a something 7/8 and heavier grind and square of point. I just like them.
But when pressed for time or on the road and I need to keep the kit simple and efficient it's a Feather something...
And I can easily see how this could be someones only shaving system.

Hope that helps a little.

Smooth Shaving...

If I didn't enjoy the honing, stropping and shaving wasn't a hobby....and collecting all these old treasures...which I enjoy immensely, I'd use my Feather AC DX and never look back. IMHO, it's that good. But of course, that's me....YMMV.

Howard

Originally Posted by SirStropalot

If I didn't enjoy the honing, stropping and shaving wasn't a hobby....and collecting all these old treasures...which I enjoy immensely, I'd use my Feather AC DX and never look back. IMHO, it's that good. But of course, that's me....YMMV.

Howard

+1 - Well said...

Originally Posted by SirStropalot

If I didn't enjoy the honing, stropping and shaving wasn't a hobby....and collecting all these old treasures...which I enjoy immensely, I'd use my Feather AC DX and never look back. IMHO, it's that good. But of course, that's me....YMMV.

Howard

Well said.

If it wasn't exactly for the reasons you mention, I'd probably be using a nice Merkur adjustable DE and that would be that.

If you want to try shavettes, pick up a Kai Captain for $60 less then a Feather DX. The Kai uses the same blades and will give you a very good shave. If you really like using the Shavettes, I would then get a Feather DX. It is the Rolls Royce of shavettes. I go to my Kai every so often because I find that it helps me with my pressure. A Feather blade brings on real respect or fear of God. After using the Kai, I go back to my straights and find I get a much better shave because I am more aware of the pressure.

Originally Posted by MajorEthanolic

My only complaint with the shavette vs the straight is that the shaves "don't last as long".

My same experience with the DE/SE. Not a positive or negative, just an observation. Merry Christmas, Ethan.