Feather DE razor blades

Japanese Feather DE blades are much better value IMO than say Merkur Platinums, but they're no where near as cheap as the Derby's & Israeli Personnas.

Feathers are probably the sharpest blade around initially, however I find they are noticeably rougher by about the 4th shave. I change a DE blade after six shaves whatever the condition, and by day six with a Feather I'm looking forward to it.

Are they worth the premium? Not for me, I prefer the Swedish (Euro) Gillettes & (Swedish made I'm reliably informed) Tesco blades...., both are cheaper, and IMV better overrall.

Regards
John

I have to chime in here. Feathers are great as far as sharpness/smoothness of shave, but also in terms of blade longevity. Maybe longevity is due to the sharpness.

I have never nicked/cut/weepered myself with feathers. Everyone talkes about their "oohhh! sharp! death to the newbie who uses a feather before the 8 month technique period is over" I used feathers on the 4th shave. And, yes, you have to be careful, but you should be careful with any blade you use. Simple concept.

Other blades have pulled and not been BBS as feathers (I need to go against the grain to get a good shave).

Israelis are not for me. I can get 3 mediocre shaves out of each Israeli blade, and that is it.

The Feathers are good enough for me that I ordered another 100 (on special) even though I have 80 left. I don't want to lose out on a good deal (for me)

As in all cases, especially with blades, YMMV.

I picked up the 100 razor deal, although I'm not sure why. Maybe hoping my first pack was below standard. These pups are sharp, but by day three, they get in the groove. The only problem for me is days one, two, and five. I'm not a huge fan, but they are still better than the store-branded Personna blades I started with.

Randy

Price: Picked up 100 blades for less than $30...can't beat that.

Quality: Definitely my go-to blade of choice. Great quality blade that seems to be revered as one of, if not the best blade made.

Sharpness: I think everyone knows about the Feather's sharpness and ability to punish if you do not pay attention to what you are doing.

Longevity:For me, these last as long or longer than the other popular brands.

Smoothness of Shave: Since switching to the Feather, all hints of razor burn and irritation are gone. Gives, by far, the best shave of any razor I have used. I agree with Ouch in that all you need to get a good shave with these is a slow hand and a health dose of respect for these blades.

Packaging: Nothing fancy here, just the standard plastic blade holder with each blade wrapped individually.

Believe it or not, my very first DE shave was with a Feather blade, in a surprisingly crappy Feather DE razor. What the hell was I thinking? Got a great, BBS shave right off the bat without a nick. Unfortunately, ensuing shaves had my ever-supportive wife asking "What's par for your face?" Funny thing was, I didn't feel a thing. They say the same about getting bit by a piranha (serrasalmus nattereri)- so sharp you don't feel the cut.

Sure, they're sharp, but they're not the terrors they're made out to be (what a poorly constructed sentence). A slow hand (I see Eric Clapton in a Feather commercial) and a modicum of respect is all you need to master a blade that can transform an otherwise timid razor (Merkur long handle comes to mind) into a top flight shaver. That doesn't mean you should load your slant bar with it after a bellyfull of tequila.

There's a special floating around for $28/100 delivered, which is a steal. They tend to be a tad rough on my neck, but, overall, I like 'em.