Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
You make a very good point. Tactile and audible feedback are the guides to any success I've had with safety razors.
Happy shaves,
Jim
Feather AS-D2. What am I doing wrong?
- Thread starter P@tsfan6484
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You make a very good point. Tactile and audible feedback are the guides to any success I've had with safety razors.
Happy shaves,
Jim
It makes a beautiful paperweight!!!
Trying to clear your den , you say!
Are you not going in the wrong direction?
I have asd2 in rotation with mamba 70 and gc84.
So it is in my top 3.
Great razor. Agree with above posts, use a feather blade 2 or 3 times, listen to the audio feedback, keep using it, you will find the sweet spot.
I think the weight and length of the handle is perfect.
I bought an asd1 on BST to compare to the asd2, which is not as good as it is alot milder, however will still produce a great shave.
I havr also used astra, nacet, permashave, bic and seven o’clocks will good results.
I keep reading in posts that the feather razor was built for feather blades, not sure how true that is.
So it is in my top 3.
Great razor. Agree with above posts, use a feather blade 2 or 3 times, listen to the audio feedback, keep using it, you will find the sweet spot.
I think the weight and length of the handle is perfect.
I bought an asd1 on BST to compare to the asd2, which is not as good as it is alot milder, however will still produce a great shave.
I havr also used astra, nacet, permashave, bic and seven o’clocks will good results.
I keep reading in posts that the feather razor was built for feather blades, not sure how true that is.
Trying to narrow it down to a few and weed out the less usage razors.
This is accurate IMO. I bought one early on in my DE voyage but experienced irritation so I put it in storage and began acquiring other razors including some I would classify as high end and others I would classify as really nice shaving razors (Rockwell 6S and Karve). I then tried unsuccessfully to trade it. At that point I decided to give it another try. Eureka! Very smooth and easy shave. So what changed? It was my technique. I had stopped putting pressure on the razor (more accurately only enough pressure to keep it on my face) and had learned intuitively how to position it in terms of angle. For me, I judge the proper angle by listening and feeling the razor cutting. I still use Feather blades and, as @ackvil notes, I get 5 or more shaves out of a blade notorious for delivering 2 shaves.
Bottom line: do not put pressure on the razor as it glides across your face--keep a very light touch. Change the angle until you feel/hear it cutting your whiskers then maintain that angle as best you can with a light touch. Soon it will become second nature. This is a very good razor and it will serve you well.
- Thread starter
- #27
Probation period is over. I have tried everything. I am positive I have found the proper angle but also have determined that mild razors are not for me. My beard is just too thick and course. Time to turn it over. Thanks for all the great advice to try and get this thing to work.
Denny
Denny
Hey Denny, don't know if this is still an issue, or if you sold your razor already. Just wanted to catch up on this, as the AS-D2 has become my one-and-only favorite razor. I've been using it every single morning for more than 5 years now, and I just love these smooth and persistent shaves it provides to me.
BUT it was not an easy trip for me, neither, as it took me almost 1 year of learning how to get closer to tapping its potential. Here's what I did, and what I can recommend to any new AS-D2 user:
1 – let go: as my first shaves were horrible, I was forced to just forget what I meant to "know" about DE razors. That one's different!
2 – master the angle: as mentioned above, used a shallow angle (blade to skin) and tried to both focus on feeling the blade on my skin, and part of the razor's cap. Never used pressure. This angle-thing one took me most of the time learning, but after about 50 shaves, ambition spurred me and made me keeping it up as long as necessary, until mastered (check, finally!)
3 – the right blade: tried a bunch of different blades in it, but came to the conclusion that it's working out best for me with the Feather Hi-Stainless blades. As mentioned above, sharp blades seem to do the trick
4 – tweak the accessories: that razor humorlessly shows up any flaws in the show, thereby forced me to find a better soap, and a better preshave (sensitive skin, but coarse beard). Plus decided to use a moisturing AS
All told, though it was no easy ride from the start, my Feather provides super-smooth shaves now and has taught me how to enjoy shaving.
Isn't that what it's all about?
BUT it was not an easy trip for me, neither, as it took me almost 1 year of learning how to get closer to tapping its potential. Here's what I did, and what I can recommend to any new AS-D2 user:
1 – let go: as my first shaves were horrible, I was forced to just forget what I meant to "know" about DE razors. That one's different!
2 – master the angle: as mentioned above, used a shallow angle (blade to skin) and tried to both focus on feeling the blade on my skin, and part of the razor's cap. Never used pressure. This angle-thing one took me most of the time learning, but after about 50 shaves, ambition spurred me and made me keeping it up as long as necessary, until mastered (check, finally!)
3 – the right blade: tried a bunch of different blades in it, but came to the conclusion that it's working out best for me with the Feather Hi-Stainless blades. As mentioned above, sharp blades seem to do the trick
4 – tweak the accessories: that razor humorlessly shows up any flaws in the show, thereby forced me to find a better soap, and a better preshave (sensitive skin, but coarse beard). Plus decided to use a moisturing AS
All told, though it was no easy ride from the start, my Feather provides super-smooth shaves now and has taught me how to enjoy shaving.
Isn't that what it's all about?
- Thread starter
- #29
I appreciate the info. I still have the razor and I still break it out once in awhile. It still is the least favorite in my den as I believe that more aggressive razors just treat me and my face better. With that said I might keep it forever as it is a beautiful piece and maybe someday I will master it.
Thanks again as I will try the angle you mentioned.
Thanks again as I will try the angle you mentioned.
It works well and delivers a smooth shave but I found that stubble grows in pretty quickly, like less than 12 hours.....maybe more like 8.
A sharp blade helps, but not a lot.
This is a good razor for people who shave every 24 hours, whether it be every morning or every night.
Horses for courses....
My horse is the NEW SC, or even a NEW LC.
If Feather made a beautiful razor that smooth and efficient, I would be all over it and DONE!
It is a beautiful piece of work, and perfectly balanced.
But what it delivers is no better than a Ball-end Tech and less than a NEW.
A sharp blade helps, but not a lot.
This is a good razor for people who shave every 24 hours, whether it be every morning or every night.
Horses for courses....
My horse is the NEW SC, or even a NEW LC.
If Feather made a beautiful razor that smooth and efficient, I would be all over it and DONE!
It is a beautiful piece of work, and perfectly balanced.
But what it delivers is no better than a Ball-end Tech and less than a NEW.
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- Thread starter
- #32
I will as I have enough regrets! lol
This post is confusing me. Doesn't shallow mean riding the cap, handle further away from your face? Mild razors like the Feather and Mamba you want to be riding the cap. At least ime.
Shallow means having the handle closer to your face. Consider that a 90 degree angle would be straight out from your face. Anything less than that is more shallow and less than 90 degrees. At 90 degrees you would have the middle of the cap on your face and not be cutting anything.
Start with a 45 degree angle and adjust. It is easy to feel, and see, especially if you are going ATG on your neck, for example.
That is exactly how i find the sweet spot. Go slow and make fine adjustments. when you hit the perfect angle you will know. It also helps to use the same razor for awhile instead of razor hopping. Ask me how I know that little tidbit? LOL!! Once you learn it, its like riding a bike.
That is exactly how i find the sweet spot. Go slow and make fine adjustments. when you hit the perfect angle you will know. It also helps to use the same razor for awhile instead of razor hopping. Ask me how I know that little tidbit? LOL!! Once you learn it, its like riding a bike.
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
This ^^^ is incorrect at least in its implications as I read it.
Please look at these correct illustrations.
Shallow angle is also known as riding the cap.
What works for you is what cuts your whiskers and what your face likes. It can be determined by trying various things. Attending to audible and tactile feedback will give you very valuable clues.
Most people say that riding the cap is the way to go with the Feather AS-D2. It's a razor I have and have used a lot (not in a long time). I was never able to get good, close, smooth, and comfortable shaves with it. I do think the Feather blade works best in it, and got pretty good shave with that blade in the razor, but the Feather blade also leaves me with post shave issues which means I find it an uncomfortable blade (uncomfortable post shave).
Happy shaves,
Jim
all the above advice also applies to the feather popular.
my 2 cents (YMMV) which is against most shave theory, but comes from my experience with the feather popular .... use slightly more pressure.
any chance anyone here has shaved with its little brother the feather popular, in addition to the AS-D2, i imagine they have similar DNA. I'm amazed at the quality of shave from the popular. curious if the big brother is just as amazing. i can't justify pulling the triger on a $100+ razor withour a few test runs.
my 2 cents (YMMV) which is against most shave theory, but comes from my experience with the feather popular .... use slightly more pressure.
any chance anyone here has shaved with its little brother the feather popular, in addition to the AS-D2, i imagine they have similar DNA. I'm amazed at the quality of shave from the popular. curious if the big brother is just as amazing. i can't justify pulling the triger on a $100+ razor withour a few test runs.
I own an AS/D2 among other top shelve razors. Unfortunately, I have never used it long enough to develop the brain/muscle memory to use it at it's best angle consistently. I still believe the Feather AS/D2 will deliver a smooth bbs, and was designed to do so, but it requires patience and practice. I think far too many owners give up on the AS/D2 believing it too be too mild. IMHO
Selling my AS-D2 has led to absolutely no regrets. It was difficult at the time as it is a very nice precision piece. But simply too much work. I don’t appreciate or want a razor I have to “master” or devote 100% concentration to. But I respect those that do. Ultimately I took 40-50 trips with mine and decided it was simply time to move on and subsequently couldn’t be happier.
Chandu
I Waxed The Badger.
I own both. The popular takes too much effort to get a close enough shave for me. The AS-D2 is an absolute marvel. It delivers an effortless shave for me, WTG, ATG, doesn't matter. I'm not sure how people seem to have such trouble with this razor. To me it's the easiest to use, least irritating, least likely to bite razor I own. My DE rad has come to an end. To me the biggest similarity is that the AS-D2, just like the Popular is almost impossible to get a nick.
I think if you tend to ride the cap or that side of the razor (shallow angle), this razor is easy to get on with. If you ride the bar (steep angle, it's going to require some changes.
I'm not selling mine.
