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Long Time Lurker, First Time Poster

Hi all, Jay here. I'm a relatively new convert to DE shaving, and tbh I caught the bug and learned lots of tips from reading through forums on Badger & Blade. Many of you have already unwittingly been a huge help to me. I'll be 40 in June, and I was in desperate need of a mid-life pursuit. Once I came across traditional wet shaving, I knew it was precisely the thing. I like to keep myself clean shaven, so I spend ~10% of my life shaving. I've always dreaded it. Now, my 45 minute nightly DE ritual is my man time, a sacred thing that gives me a respite from the rigors of wife and child (both of whom I love immensely, but...you know, a guy needs guy time).

Based upon your recommendations for newbs, I went with the Edwin Jagger DE87. I couldn't be happier with my choice. So far I've used Astra SPs and Shark Super Chrome. I found the Astras a bit too dull for my beard (which is very thick on the lip and chin), and I quite liked the Sharks. However, even the Sharks still tugged a lot on my third pass (against the grain). I'm waiting a bit to try Feathers (although I have a tuck in my cabinet), based upon some of the warning stories I've read. I have some Derby Extras and some Wilkinson Sword Classics. Would either of those be better for heavy stubble, or is it advisable to advance to Feathers as a relative novice?

Hope this post isn't too long, and I look forward to your feedback. This community already feels like a circle of friends to me, so I'm happy to be officially involved!
 

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Stjynnkii membörd dummpsjterd
Not another Jay! We have Big Jay, Little Jay, Medium Jay, Regular Jay, Irregular Jay, Jay the Bearded Wonder, Jay_the_Triathlete, Jay_the_CouchPotato, and many others. More Jays than you can shake a stick at.

Welcome aboard, from one Jay to another.
 
Welcome to the club, Jay. Glad to have you aboard. Go ahead and give the Feathers a try. They are just a blade, and you can cut yourself with ANY blade, even a dull one. As long as you can manage a shave with the other blades you mentioned, you can manage one with a Feather, and the Edwin Jagger is a relatively mild and forgiving razor. Just be careful about angle and pressure, and be sure that you have a good, slick lather.
 
Welcome to B&B. There's no real harm in trying the Feathers, but you might find your shaves with the other blades improve over time as you perfect the angle and pressure (or lack of it) of attack.
 
Welcome aboard Jay....... :thumbup1: Don't fear the Feather amigo, just respect it. And as others have stated above, get the angle, no pressure and it will be smooth as silk. Enjoy the journey!
 

Graydog

Biblical Innards
Welcome Jay , All Blades are sharp and to be respected and the Feather is just another blade , You should get your self a sample pack of different brands and see what works for you . sounds like you are doing great
 
Welcome Jay , All Blades are sharp and to be respected and the Feather is just another blade , You should get your self a sample pack of different brands and see what works for you . sounds like you are doing great

Agree^. Welcome, Jay. Every shave begins with lather, so pay attention to its quality as well as the blades. Enjoy your shaves! :001_smile
 
Let's say you have some kitchen work done and the carpenter says "THIS is the sharpest blade. When I use a saw, i like THIS saw blade." Well, when you decided to do some remodeling on your own, wouldn't you try the blade he recommended?

Feathers are not hard to come by. Ask and ye shall receive. Try and ye shall know. If they don't work out, try again in six months.

Personally, I don't like feathers, but I only know that because I've tried them.
 
Welcome to B&B, Jay.

The Feathers may work for you. However, like you, I have a thick, wiry beard. On most razors I can get only two shaves from the Feather blade. I get better results from the Personna Reds, Med Prep blades, and Labs. However, the best thing is for you to experiment and see what works best for you.
 
X2 for Personna Reds. Also Gillette Silver Blues, Gillette 7 O'Clock Yellows (Permasharps), and 7 O'Clock Green SharpEdge (different from the 7 O'Clock Green Super Stainless!!!) For me, those blades are nearly as sharp as the Feathers but smoother gliding and more forgiving. I didn't have any luck with Astras or Personna Blue (either lab prep or med prep). Gillette Rubies were good too but not quite as smooth as the GSBs or the Personna Reds.
You can take a look at tryablade.com to put together your own sampler of 2 or 3 blades each.

As always, YMMV.

Andrew
 
Welcome, Jay! The blade adventure is a lot of a trial and error. I've been settled on Feather DE blades for the last decade mainly because the Mrs gave me a Feather Artist Club DX shavette for my birthday and – after acquiring the respect for the blade necessary to come out with a good shave (and one's life) – I wanted a similar experience in my DE shaving. (My daily shaving routine includes both the Artist Club, mainly for working around facial hair, and a DE razor.) That said, @MursesAnonymous's advice is tempting me to experiment anew.
 
Welcome to B&B, Jay.

The Feathers may work for you. However, like you, I have a thick, wiry beard. On most razors I can get only two shaves from the Feather blade. I get better results from the Personna Reds, Med Prep blades, and Labs. However, the best thing is for you to experiment and see what works best for you.
+1
 
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