Feather Artist Club DX

I used it with the regular Feahter blades and got 17 shaves from one blade! I did nick myself more than I would on a straight, but the shave was BBS.
It is a bit pricey, and blades must be ordered. I purchased mine via Ebay and from A B&B member. I have the kamisori artist club version, but I prefer straigths more
Easy maintainence-no honing or stropping required.

I just bought one of these, and although a bit pis....erm miffed at not getting a case, I cannot fault the razor. I got the DX with ebony-style handles instead of the aluminium one,it looked better in my opinion, and gave it a whirl tonight, I usually nick myself 2-3 time with my DE and feathers, got one nick with the straight version Just got to work out how to move around my glasses now....., other than that I got the razor and 15 guarded blades, 3 "Light" blades and 20 Professional Great buy.

On to the shave, I whipped up some lather from an Erasmic puck with a wilkinsons brush, although tomorrow it will be Trumpers coconut cream I was surprised at the short strokes and how the bits I found tough to reach with a DE were suddenly easily accessible with this, no irritation (well nearly none I think I tried to touch a bit up without a wet enough lather.... being careful because of the "beheading stories" told about).

In Short: I don't believe this razor deserves mythical status because of some supernatural sharpness, but it does for the shave it gives, I have never gotten such a close shave.... and looked so damn manly....

Give it a whirl.. if you don't want the hassle of stropping, honing, panicking if you drop a blade (is it going to dent or shatter etc. etc.) then definitely try this, I never expected this to be a go-to razor, but it definitely will be now

One problem though..... blades are hard to get in the UK, although the razor itself seems cheaper.

Tom

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Price: I got it on the bay for a considerable discount that is why I rate it so high, but normally the price is really high but mind you in my opinon worth it consider you will not need another holder if convience and a good shave are what you desire, like me and dont really plan to get many other razor/holders. You do get what you pay for and this in my opinon is the case here.

Craftsmanship: I really enjoy the weight of the holder as opposed to my shavette, that I previously used. The Teakwood accent gives the holder considerable character. It feels as though with care I will be using this for a long time.

Ease of sharpening: Had to be a ten since all I have to do is switch the blades out, always easy to get it sharp.

Lasting edge: I have shaved myself, sterilized the blade, and allows other to experience and do the same, all supperb shaves after six shaves still sharp with no problems. I also dont have to shave everyday (like every 2-3 days) so blades will last me a while in theory with 7-10 shaves projected per blade, that nearly a month per blade when I use it solo on the low end of the use spectrum.

Shaving smoothness: I used the Super pro blades first because I have coarse stubble. It was amazing I didnt cut myself and the first shave was smooth to the touch - off top. It also helped me clear up an issue I had with healed razor bumps. It cleanly slices them off to show clean skin. I was sold on it after I saw that. No pressure was needed b/c the DX has a considerable weight to it. I consider myself a modern shaver and love the disposable aspect and the long lasting blades, I would recomend this to anyone who wants a convient smooth shave with a minimal input or effort, just good technique. Also I know alot of reviews say the blades are VERY sharp but oddly enough when I crazily tried to touch the edge it didnt cut me but when I applied it to my lathered face to shave it just mowed the hair down, WOW.

Ease to maintain: Of course when the blade is not sharp anymore it can be loaded into a blade safe or into the blade injector. To experiment when I got the holder I slid the front piece off, after I read the direction, to see how the mechanism worked and I then was able put it back together with ease. The teakwood handle has to be removed before sterilizing it but I just dunk the main part it boiling water, from my electric water heater that I use for warm lather, to ensure it is clean and spray with disenfectant that contains ethonal to ensure it sterilazed. When I was ready to use again I just rinsed it off in hot water to get the disenfectant off and used it was used again with ease.

I posted my experiences with the RG, and my introduction to the DX (along with a comparison between the two), here: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=94625

I think the DX is a but nicer than the RG, but at what cost? The balance is a little better, and the finish is nicer. Is it worth the extra $100? Only you can decide. If you need the absolute nicest, it is worth the money. If you just want a great shave, probably not. The main differences are aesthetic. Apart from the slightly better balance, the RG and DX shave the same (for me, at least).

Just got this thing. I have been a straight shaver for a while, but I just didn't have enough time to keep up the maintenance. So I figured I'd try the Feather. I wasn't sure what to expect, and from reading previous reviews I knew I'd have to change my technique a bit. But I really didn't want to give up the closeness, ability to adjust blade angle, and the overall shaving aesthetic of a straight shave. Wasn't quite ready to give up and switch to DE just yet.

I originally ordered the RG, but once I got it in the mail, I immediately sent it back and upgraded to the DX. I could tell I was going to like the Feathers from the start, so I figured I'd just get the best now instead of ordering it later. I am really anal about aesthetics and I wanted the stainless steel. Plus I wanted the case, and I had heard that the DX's are balanced better than the RG (and I will confirm that they are).

OK, price. This is the only thing I marked down. As much as I'm loving this product, it is a little expensive for essentially being a nice blade holder. That being said, it is a very quality product, and time was put into the R&D. I also like the handle. Some would not like the look and feel of the polymer, but I like its durability and I think it fits the modern appeal of this razor. Even though the price is high, compared to a quality straight, a good hone, strop, strop paste, etc...it is about equal.

Craftsmanship. As I said above, this thing is built very well. The razor injection system is easy and quick. It is weighted very well, and allows you to use very little pressure while still having full control of the blade. The polymer handle is nice for easy cleaning as well. If the polymer is not your thing you can upgrade to a nice Teakwood or Ebony handle. I also really like how long the tang is. I can actually get my index and middle in front of the handle and both my ring and pinky on the tang. Allows for a really controlled grip.

Easy to sharpen. Well, it is simple. Once it gets dull, just pop a new blade in.

Lasting Edge. I honestly have not done enough shaves with this thing to tell, but from what I've read, should last about as long as a quality DE blade. Between 5-10 shaves.

Shaving Smoothness. Man oh man does this thing shave well. I have never had a closer shave. I switched to this thing because I couldn't keep my straight sharp enough. This thing cuts through everything without any hesitation. I was slightly worried about the first shave because of all the people's warnings about how sharp they are. I think everyone was over-exaggerating. My first shave was silky smooth and no nicks. You just have to remember to keep the blade angle really low and not use ANY pressure. I will say there is less feedback than a straight shave. This is because of the weight of the blade and how sharp the razors are. I actually wasn't even sure at first if I was shaving anything. I thought I might have had the blade angle so thin that it wasn't even hitting my skin, but then I looked and after the first pass it was practically as smooth as 2 passes with my straight was. I think next blade order I make, I will upgrade to the Pro Supers (I'm using the Pro's currently). Would like to have a bit more blade showing.

Maintenance is easy. Just replace the blades when needed. The whole thing can come apart for easy cleaning. And the handle is fine to put in the dishwasher if you really want to sterilize it.

So overall, I'm very happy with my Feather DX. It is definitely not for everyone. It is very sharp and needs slightly different technique than a traditional straight. So for that reason, some straight users may not like it, and I also don't know if it is great way to "introduce" yourself to straight shaves. Won't be for everyone, but if you want a similar feel and appeal to a straight shave without some of the hassle try out a Feather. I know that I gave this thing a really high review, but I really do feel that way about it. I love it. I sure won't be switching to DE's anytime soon.