Thread: Help with Feather folding DX

Originally Posted by beluga

Changing a Feather AC blade, you may find that the first 1-2 shaves are harsher than the following ones and that you may need to take extra care with a new blade.

B.

Yes, I found out the hard way LOL
I swiped it x5 times on a toliet roll, don't know if it really helps but gives me slightly more confidence. I will continue to do this on fresh blades while learning.

Originally Posted by MJC

And a Happy New Year to you and yours...

My Feather shave routine is basically at the most a two pass, N-S and S-N.
This ends up being a mostly WTG N-S and a mostly XTG S-N.
I don't need to do a pure ATG pass with the Feather - but I am using a heal forward "snow plow" for some of it (please don't try this any time soon)
The Feather is so sharp that with good stretching XTG handles just about everything.
And the truth is that the S-N pass on the neck, with the good visibility that this pass has, can be an effective and efficient pass.
My neck problem/extra attention is the adams apple area - if I don't focus on the tension there I cut a nice strip of skin off. (I made to "cut of the day" with that one once)

An again, you can use the no-blade "shave" to work out the hand holds, pass patterns and stretching. When you do start, treat the sides of your neck like the side of your face to get the hang of it. The center of your throat can be like shaving your chin in that it takes some extra care with stretching/angles.

Above all take your time. Most of my cuts come from trying to do too much too soon.
As Obie says - Comfort over Closeness.
If you focus on Comfort the Closeness will come before you know it.

Smooth Shaving..

What is a "snow plow"?
I've been doing the no blade shave, I found it quite helpful.

SO yesterday I went ahead and shaved over the cut and it didn't reopen, I completed 2 passes and started to attempt an ATG pass (which looking back was quite foolish) and quickly had a tiny weeper so I stopped realising I was not ready. Finished up with DE.

This morning I actually had a decent shave on the right side other than the chin area. I attempted to shave my left side with my left hand with NO HELP from my right hand and after 3 passes WTG not too great but I'm getting more confident and understanding the angles better. I'm no longer shitting myself when bringing the blade to my face. Finished up with DE, pretty happy with progress today.

So If I used right hand only, I think I could manage a decent shave with 2 passes WTG and minimal touch up with DE. I'm finding using both hands will probably be better for me in the long term.
Today is shave 11. What is typical to start XTG and ATG?

Originally Posted by RedGladiator

What is a "snow plow"?
I've been doing the no blade shave, I found it quite helpful.

SO yesterday I went ahead and shaved over the cut and it didn't reopen, I completed 2 passes and started to attempt an ATG pass (which looking back was quite foolish) and quickly had a tiny weeper so I stopped realising I was not ready. Finished up with DE.

This morning I actually had a decent shave on the right side other than the chin area. I attempted to shave my left side with my left hand with NO HELP from my right hand and after 3 passes WTG not too great but I'm getting more confident and understanding the angles better. I'm no longer shitting myself when bringing the blade to my face. Finished up with DE, pretty happy with progress today.

So If I used right hand only, I think I could manage a decent shave with 2 passes WTG and minimal touch up with DE. I'm finding using both hands will probably be better for me in the long term.
Today is shave 11. What is typical to start XTG and ATG?

"Snow Plow" is another term for leading with the heel or the toe of the razor.
You can also learn how to "chevron" - a stroke that moves diagonally as traverses the area (not slicing, check the wiki and I will try to find a link)
Get past 25 shaves before you try them but check out the Wiki.

My Feather routine is a N-S that is mostly WTG and using the left hand on the left side and the right hand on the right side.
The S-N starts for me at the base of the neck, strong hand on the weak side.
Using stretching and head tiling to get above the jaw line.
Most of the time I do the neck in three sets, weak side/dominant hand, strong side/"weak" hand (switching hands) and then center, using the swallow and hold to flatten my adams apple and pulling the skin to either side. Low pressure, low angle.

As you get in more shaves the "problem areas" will shrink down to a couple that are the size of your thumb pad or a matchbook - and this will be the "touch up" with the DE at first and the DX before you know it.

The strokes, stretches, hand positions and head tilts will just become part of a routine - you will have to stop and think about what you did because your "beard map" and stroke pattern will merge in to your muscle memory.

You can shave with your dominant hand only, but for me it is much much easier to use both hands, and the sooner you learn that the easier it comes together.

If no-blade practice has been helping you then "weak hand" passes might be a place to focus on.

One of the things that helped me was switching from rinsing the blade in the sink to stropping off the lather on a damp cloth on the counter.
I would focus on the sink and faucet and it not only slowed me down, in the beginning I would have to ask myself "what was I doing last?"
If you watch a Barber shave someone they never turn to the sink, they clear the blade on a towel or even their forearm.
The hot water rinse is saved for the end.

And from your posts you have made great progress without the benefit of an in-person mentor.
Keep doing what you are doing and by February you will have the hardest part long behind you.

Smooth Shaving and Happy New Year....

Originally Posted by RedGladiator

Yes, I found out the hard way LOL
I swiped it x5 times on a toliet roll, don't know if it really helps but gives me slightly more confidence. I will continue to do this on fresh blades while learning.

Try using the side of a wine cork, and making one "slice" drawing the blade from back to front/pulling it across.
Known as "corking the blade" there are some who do this with the Feather DE Blades when they are starting out.
You can add a slice if one is not enough.
This will shorten the service life of the blade, and once you get a few dozen shaves in you will not need to do this and your blade life will get much longer.
That way you can get your 10+ years out of your 10 boxes of blades...

Originally Posted by RedGladiator

So yesterday I completed 3 passes WTG including chin and above the lip no cuts and while the shave is still not great it was slowly improving. COnfidence was getting high.

Day 8 (today) I put in a new blade cut myself fairly early and panicked a little, got frustrated and had a very poor shave. Half a pass, gave up then finished up with a DE.



There is no room for error, any mistake WILL BE PUNISHED WITH BLOOD.
Either I learn QUICKLY or my face is going to be covered in little scars in a matter of weeks.

VERY FRUSTRATED, yesterday I was feeling so great about it, today feels like a HUGE stepback.

So what do you do when you have a bad cut? I felt like the way I was going immediately after the cut, if I carried on I would cut myself a few more times, better to call it a day and try again tomorrow?

Most shavers can get ten or more shaves from the feather artisan blades. Your handwork is going to pay off. Once you get the pressure and angles correct you'll be rewarded with fantastic shaves. The Feather Artisan Club Razors give exceptional quality shaves.

Originally Posted by MJC

"Snow Plow" is another term for leading with the heel or the toe of the razor.
You can also learn how to "chevron" - a stroke that moves diagonally as traverses the area (not slicing, check the wiki and I will try to find a link)
Get past 25 shaves before you try them but check out the Wiki.

My Feather routine is a N-S that is mostly WTG and using the left hand on the left side and the right hand on the right side.
The S-N starts for me at the base of the neck, strong hand on the weak side.
Using stretching and head tiling to get above the jaw line.
Most of the time I do the neck in three sets, weak side/dominant hand, strong side/"weak" hand (switching hands) and then center, using the swallow and hold to flatten my adams apple and pulling the skin to either side. Low pressure, low angle.

As you get in more shaves the "problem areas" will shrink down to a couple that are the size of your thumb pad or a matchbook - and this will be the "touch up" with the DE at first and the DX before you know it.

The strokes, stretches, hand positions and head tilts will just become part of a routine - you will have to stop and think about what you did because your "beard map" and stroke pattern will merge in to your muscle memory.

You can shave with your dominant hand only, but for me it is much much easier to use both hands, and the sooner you learn that the easier it comes together.

If no-blade practice has been helping you then "weak hand" passes might be a place to focus on.

One of the things that helped me was switching from rinsing the blade in the sink to stropping off the lather on a damp cloth on the counter.
I would focus on the sink and faucet and it not only slowed me down, in the beginning I would have to ask myself "what was I doing last?"
If you watch a Barber shave someone they never turn to the sink, they clear the blade on a towel or even their forearm.
The hot water rinse is saved for the end.

And from your posts you have made great progress without the benefit of an in-person mentor.
Keep doing what you are doing and by February you will have the hardest part long behind you.

Smooth Shaving and Happy New Year....

Great tip on wiping off the lather, I used a sponge and it was great.

Had a mixed shave today, tried a different soap. I forget the name of it but the lather disappears very fast but funny enough it's still slick even after it disappears, I want to use it all up ASAP unless I can find another use for it. I just want to use my cella again. So anyway I had to keep re applying the lather which was very annoying. Completed 2 passes WTG, right side great, left side needed touching up, thought I would do the touch up with my right hand using the DX rather than the DE. Nice to break free from the DE. No cuts today.

Will do some blade free practice for ATG, still waiting for the proguards before attemting this, sure to be bloody.

I don't have any wine corks as I rarely drink wine but like the idea of this.

Thanks again guys.

I can only speak of my experience with true straights as I've never used a shavette. I was probably 12 or so shaves into my journey before I began to realize just a small hint of the potential of straight shaving. Thereafter every 6-10 shaves I would experience a dramatic improvement in technique and results. So, it does take some time to learn this thing. The only advice I would offer to someone that wants to straight shave, is to get a straight razor. Don't get a safety razor (the route I took, and spent a lot of money!), and don't get a shavette. The only way to get good at straight razor shaving, is to use one.

Didn't know where to put this so I figured I might as put here.

Tip for any newbs:
At the heel where the blade holder attatchment meets the holder, even though it is inplace correctly, before shaving check that there is ZERO gap. Especially if going XTG or ATG, if there is a gap,even a tiny gap for me anyway it tends to catch and pull.

Originally Posted by RedGladiator

Didn't know where to put this so I figured I might as put here.

Tip for any newbs:
At the heel where the blade holder attatchment meets the holder, even though it is inplace correctly, before shaving check that there is ZERO gap. Especially if going XTG or ATG, if there is a gap,even a tiny gap for me anyway it tends to catch and pull.

Good tip, you catch one or two hairs from your Mo in that gap you will squeal like a pig under the gate...as they say..

SUCCESS. 20ish (been playing with the mongoose) shaves in, 3 passes, WTG XTG ATG, no cuts nick or weepers.

Just to confirm correct method.
WTG: Right hand-right side, left hand-left side
XTG: Right hand-left side, left hand-right side
ATG: Right hand-left side, left hand-right side

That's what I've been doing anyway. Dividing the face right down the middle.