Feather as training for straight

I am thinking of buying a feather razor to help me learn to shave with a traditional straight. I have been using a traditional straight for about six months, but I still get much better shave with my Merkur DE. The three variables in a good straight razor shave seem to be (1) beard prep, (2) skill with razor, and (3) sharp razor (well honed and stropped). It would seem that using a feather would ensure that variable (3) sharp razor is always optimal. Thus, I can focus on beard prep and shaving skill without worrying that my problems stem from a dull blade. I had my straight sharpend by Lynn Abrams, but that still does not ensure a good blade because the razor dulls over time and poor stropping technique can dull a well honed razor very fast.

What do you guys think?

I think its faulty logic. Do you think driving an automatic car is good experience to learn how to drive a standard?

Well, if Feathers gave you a consistently sharp edge you could perhaps focus more on blade angle, stretching and so on. But I think one big problem is that you'd lose out on learning how to strop. If you're shaving with feathers you won't learn proper stropping.

Also I've read that the geometry of the Feathers is a bit different from a traditional straight, so what works with a feather might not work with a straight.


I hope someone with experience using both traditional straights and the Feathers will post. I may very well have overlooked something.

I've spent a few months with traditional straights, but recently I got a feather to try. I was blown away with the shave I got from the feather. Beat anything I have ever had with a traditional straight. They are diffrent because the feather requires the lightest touch possible. As far as learning to use a traditional by using the feather, I would say it gives you some idea of the angle and the ability you need with a traditional straight. However, it is much sharper, and it isn't exactly the same method that I use with a traditional straight (I streatch less and use diffrent angles with the feather).

You might spoil yourself on the featherif you get used to it because you can never achieve the sharpness (including the lubrication on the edge, etc.) that you get with a feather, on a traditional straight. That being said there is a razor out there for everyone, look around and find yours even if its a bic.

you will get good shaves with either a feather or a straight.
Your right about not having to worry about stropping or honing,but you may find that the shave with the feather doesn't last as long. ive also expierienced more itching as the beard grows back after using a feather.
I feel the main advantege with using a feather for beginners is that it teaches you to keep a light touch to your shaving technique.
My own expierience is that the feather improved my technique & this has led me back to using smaller blades to get superior results .
Dont forget to keep the angle shallow &the touch light when using the feather as it will bite you quicker than a straight.
Iuse my feather for travelling use as it keeps my bag light & I wont be upset should it go astray.Paul

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Originally Posted by AFDavis11

I think its faulty logic. Do you think driving an automatic car is good experience to learn how to drive a standard?

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short answer is, YES.
For the most part its not hard to teach someone stick if they already know how to drive, There are exceptions to every rule.

I tried to do the exact same thing (learn to shave with a straight using a feather) and you will end up learning to shave all over again when you go to a straight. I think the feather is a pretty cool tool, they are super-sharp, you will feel zero drag, and you can get good shaves (but be carefull or you will get irritation also), but they are not like real straights. You will have to change your technique when you swich to a real straight anyway so I suggest you practice your honing and stropping skills instead of spending more money.

"Never retreat. Never surrender!"

~ Captain Peter Quincy Taggart

You're accelerating the practice on shaving technique but removing stropping practice.

I started with the feather because all the maintenance of stropping and honing looked pretty intimidating but a lot of the appeal of the straight razor (I think now) is the maintenance and care of a single non-replaceable blade. It is an extremely satisfying experience when you finally get your blade shave ready and you get a real good shave from a blade that you honed and stropped. I was using my feather as my back-up while I was learning to hone and strop my straights. I suggest that you use your DE as a back-up (instead of spending more money on a feather) until you get this down.

I don't know exactly how different the feather is from the disposable "straight razors" that use half of a DE blade (I think they're called "shavettes"?), but I gave one of them a try after I had been using the regular straight razor for a little while. I didn't like it at all.

The blade was ridiculously sharp, of course, and not at all forgiving. That's one of the great things about the straight razor: you can basicaly customize its sharpness to your liking. After a while it's as though it becomes... a part of you.

I did exactly what you are contemplating: I bought a feather in order to learn how to shave with a st8 and not have to deal with honing and stropping. I acquired a reasonable level of proficiency in about a month, but I wasn't exactly delighted with the whole experience so I decided to try a real st8.

I got a TI that Lynn had honed. What a difference! On my first attempt I got a far more comfortable shave with better results. And the bonus is that the st8 is soooo much more foregiving. My feather now sits in a drawer gathering dust. I had originally planned to use it as a travel razor; however, I haven't done so--just a st8 and a paddle strop for traveling.

Stropping is a relatively easy skill to acquire. Honeing is another story. It took me several months and a half dozen ebay razors to actually get to where I can make a razor shave ready. (And they still aren't what I would call ideal.)

While you are learning, you can get a Tony Miller pasted strop. It will keep a professionally honed razor going for many months.

So, my advice would be to forget about the feather and get a professionally honed st8. Save the money--you'll need it if you decide to continue with this method of depilation! (And this advice is worth every cent you paid for it.)

Larry

I started shaving with a Feather str8, and, yes, it helped me learn to respect a sharp edge and have a light touch. I like the Feather for what it is: the best, and sharpest, and most well made disposable str8 razor on the market.

Having said that, you will be taking a step backward if you go to a Feather. That is unless you plan on giving up regular str8 razors, because there is nothing like a great shave with a real str8!!! The few times I went back to the Feather it was just "Ho Humm". No charge, no exciting feeling that I did something really great! No excitement you get from a great shave with a razor you have sharpened, stropped, and shaved with.

TRUST ME! Don't do it!

Regards,

Steve

I've gone both ways on this in the past, so take this as a snapshot of where I am now... :)

The Feather can be a good tool if you're really struggling to learn some aspect of straight shaving. For a long time, I got terrible irritation or a stubbly face. One or the other.

Switching to a Feather for a while helped me figure out that I was using way too much pressure, which was due to my decision early on to learn to hone on my own. :gth I should have gotten a shave-ready razor from the getgo.

That said, the Feather requires very different technique, in my book. With my straights, I use a 30-degree angle and some light to moderate pressure. With the Feather, I keep the blade flat against my face--almost a zero angle. I use no pressure.

With a straight, I go N-S on my neck for the first pass. With the Feather, I have to go up or I get pretty bad razor burn. (Down is partially against the grain. This is OK with the straight, but not so much with the Feather.)

I totally agree that the straight is gentler and more forgiving. I have very sensitive skin, and my favorite edges are finished to a smooth but not terribly sharp 6K edge on my Belgian blue.

With the Feather, I always have some irritation, no matter how careful I am. I'm sure I could get the hang of it eventually, but I'd rather just use my straights.

One trap I fell into was thinking that sharper is always better. I was finding that the razor would hang up in my chin hair and not cut it. So I went to a sharper edge, which made things worse with the razor burn and irritation. If you're struggling, I'd encourage you to try a range of edges, from a super-smooth 6K edge to a hyper-sharp 30K Shapton or 50K diamond paste edge.

Just my 2 cents,
Josh

I believe the Feather is great if you want to get a "straight type" shave without having to learn to hone or strop, and you don't want to lay out the bucks for hone or two. You get a similar experience to a straight shave but with a machine honed blade. However, comparing the overall experience, using a Feather is a lot like drinking frozen concentrate. Good, but not the real thing.

RT

I say dive right in. I've never used a DE or a feather. I simply went from Mach 3 to a straight and I learned right from wrong quickly by trial and error. Although I did nick myself due only to my own carelessness a few times, but that's how you learn. I also learned to hone and strop, but I had lots of time to just sit and do it. Good Luck.

Thanks everyone. Your advice was quite helpful. Soar on!

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Originally Posted by heliguy

short answer is, YES.
For the most part its not hard to teach someone stick if they already know how to drive, There are exceptions to every rule.

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Over here, if you got your drivers license in a car with automatic transmission, it will be marked on your license and you are not legally allowed to drive in stick shift cars.

You'd have to take the test again if you want to change that.
The idea behind this is that the government want to be sure that you know what you are doing.

Then again this is only a small minority because the rule does not work the other way around, and people around here are not into automatic trannies anyway. Most people I know (incl me) prefer manual.