Feather 'Popular' Safety Razor

I needed a travel razor and I bought this one after reading the reviews on it here. I started my first shave with an astra blade but after a couple of strokes I changed to a feather blade. Three passes and a touch up left a very close shave with zero razor burn. I wish my Parker 87R would shave this smooth.

This is a good inexpensive razor. It is a long handled TTO (butterfly) type) It's lightweight and good balance makes it a good fit for newbie and experienced wet shavers alike. I have a thick beard and I find that it works best with Feather, Shark or Derby blades all of which are extra sharp! For a metal and plastic combination razor the quality is very good!

This is an excellent razor. Couple this razor with a Feather blade and you have one very excellent shaving instrument. I have been using this for 5 days straight with the Feather blade and get a gourmet shave with one WTG and one ATG pass and walk away with a BBS shave. Some might find this razor to be too mild, however I do not. It comes in a hinged plastic case that holds a package of blades. It is made in Japan, it is a Feather and shaves like a dream. I wish I had one years ago! Makes a great starter razor for those coming from a 2 or three blade razor or those who want to try something different. The price and quality of the razor coupled with the quality and consistency of the shave make this razor a standout.

Mine would bend the blade into a convex shape every time the doors shut like it was a hair too short for the blade or something. Blade was not lined up with edge bar in a flat parallel manor. After a couple of bad shaves I had to get rid of it. I had high hopes based on reviews and expected excellent quality from Japan. Very disappointed.

Not only is this the perfect beginner's razor, but it's my current #1. Yes, even over assorted Merkurs and Gillettes. Pop in a Derby, Feather or Personna Medical blade and you're all set. Comes with a decent travel case with ventilation holes and a spot for a pack of blades. It's about 60% plastic, but it's well built and does a tremendous job as a shaver. Everyone should have one, even if it's only for travel.

Well I bought this as a travel razor (my daily razor is a fatboy) and I have to state that it was a nice surprise. This razor is very mild and very very forgiving. I have only cut my self once with a feather blade. With all other blades I have tried, it is almost impossible to get cut. It is so forgiving you can use wrong angles, apply pressure etc. This means that this is one of the best choices as a first DE razor.

The downside is that I cannot get a BBS shave with this razor on my neck no matter the blade. DFS is good to go though with 2 passes, no irritation and no nicks/cuts.

Now I also use it when I have to rush my shave routine due to limited time. A purchase I will not regret!

After the Portable, I tried the Popular. With a Rotbart Extra Dunn (Super Thin) I had a very good shave. Lathered up as usual: ARKO stick on the face, work up lather and after that superlather with cream (now VGH). Very smooth, with a nice cutting sound. The razor is so mild you can almost shave as with a cartridge or injector, but it does cut. Good for starters and more experienced alike. Worth a try.

Just picked up the Feather Popular razor a few days ago. So far I really love this razor.

My usual go to razor is my Slant, so when trying this razor I didn't have high hopes for a close or smooth shave. I found I was completely wrong in having a lower expectation.

I am able to achieve a very fast and smooth shave with this razor. It will definitely be in my weekly rotation of razors. It is not as close as my Slant, but it can be with a little extra work (i.e. more passes).

I would not hesitate to recommend this to anybody - but for the price, I think it is a great intro razor, or for a gift to somebody looking into DE wetshaving.

I plan to keep this at work to shave when I don't feel like shaving at home. But, I will also keep it as my travel razor since it comes in a clamshell case and is ready to go wherever I want to take it.

Having switched from 3 & 4 blade cartridges found this a great razor. Easy to use and have had no real cuts. Takes me a few passes to get really close but so did the old stuff.

Use just a shave oil (Somerset) rather than soap and brush etc and works fine.

Comes with a couple of Feather blades and these seem to perform best in the razor so far (v astra and derby)

Cheap in NZ at $25.

I got my "Pop" the other day, I bought it based on the reviews here. I have found the general impression I got of the razor from the reviews to be very accurate.
I bought it to be my travelrazor, but I have a feeling it will make it's way into my dayly "rotation" at home also

I loaded the razor with a corked 7 O'clock Super Stainless, and the shave I got was nice and close and very comfortable. This is a very mild and forgiving razor to use and it cut my whiskers very effectively. Those are great abilitys to combine.

With this razor, I can apply the same light pressure as I would with my old Mach 3 without any problems. I think that would make this razor great for beginners. All they have to learn is to keep a good angle, but it's also very forgiving if they don't.

The quality seems reassuring and considering the price of $13, very good. I'm sure this razor will last a lot longer than I have any right to expect from the price I payed.

This is a very well functioning tool for cutting whiskers, but I think it does little for "gearhead" in us. But that's just fine for me, considering it will be out traveling with me and might get lost

I have no problem stamping this razor as Highly Recommended

Thanks to this website I have been DE shaving for over 3 years now
and loving it!
So far I have used the Merkur HD,Slant,HD Open Comb,Progress,and from
Gillette the Fatboy and the Black handled Super Speed.
The thing I have discovered is that eveything in shaving is absolutely YMMV.
While most of those razors are wonderful in their own way,they are all too agressive for my ultra sensitive skin.
Which brings me to the Feather DE razor.It is the best shaver I have used so far,by a country mile.It is extremely mild,yet gave me a perfect close shave
with absolutely no irritation.I used a brand new Feather blade,a blade I could never use before as it always led to some minor irritation and redness.This time though it was like a hot knife throught butter.Simply wonderful.

All in all,I would say that if your skin is really,really sensitive this razor is a wonderful truly mild shaver.The quality of the razor is fine,nothing special as it is mostly plastic,but the metal head is nice,the length of the razor is great,
the TTO(Twist To open) butterfly system makes blade changing very easy.
The blade gap is even on both sides on mine,unlike on some of the Merkur models I have owned in the past.

So if you need a truly mild razor,that is inexpensive yet doesent feel cheap in its construction,I highly recommend the Feather Portable DE razor.

Mine arrived today and I gave it a try. An excellent shave. I particularly like the long handle, the longest of all my razors. It is a typical Japanese product. Not highly finished and not made of expensive materials: but, the quality control in manufacture is faultless and everything is accurately machined, molded, and put together. Some of the stuff from Parker, Indian I believe, may be metal, but the fit and finish is often appalling!
An excellent addition to my collection.
Cheers,
Martin.
Gillette Superspeed, Gillette white plastic handledscrew open shut silo model, Merkur HD, Merkur slant bar, Merkur open comb long handle, Merkur Futur, Polish Lux. They all have something unique to offer. If I had to have only one, it would be the Futur.

This was my first modern DE razor. I love it. It's light, not aggressive, and gives a close shave. Mine cost $17 from Turnely's hairdressers' supplies in Fitzroy, Melbourne. If you visit don't be deterred by the STRICTLY TRADE ONLY signs on the way up. They were happy to serve me -- I said my local barber recommended them (which was true).

Compared with my two other DE razors the Feather is the easiest and most pleasant to use. The long handle and lightness make it easy to grip and manipulate. Don't be deterred because it's partly plastic -- this is a quality Japan-made product.

I wish that this one was the first that i tried when i started DE shaving.
It's a very mild shaver but it get the job done pretty well in fact.
When you load it whit a Feather blade it gives you a very good irritation free shave.
It's very hard to cut yourself whit it.
Since it's not an aggressive razor maybe you will need an extra pass or some touch ups but nothing major.
If your goal is BBS i doubt the Feather Popular is for you,
but if you search for a razor that for sure you won't rip your face apart whit well it is for you.
Some people complain on the fact that it is part plastic part metal, but me i really don't care to be honest.

This was my first DE when I entered the world of DE. At that time, I never really got the hang of it and it ended up not getting used for several years. BUT it has withstood the DE cull that I went through after coming to like straight razors shaving.


At present I use straight razors 99% of the time but when I am in a rush or too tired this is what I pull out.


Like I said in the first paragraph I never really got the hang of it when I strted out. It was quite aggresive and I would amost surely get razor burn. But the price was why I got it.

Price: Cheap. I got mine locally and it came with a few blades in the plastic case.

Quality: It is a combination of plastic and metal parts. This makes it head heavy. But it is still much lighter than most full metal DEs. I found that I liked the long handle. Even though it was plastic, the feel was very nice. I attribute that to the quality of this razor holder.

User Freindly: The twist collar to deploy the silo doors is at the neck of the handle, just below the head. It works very smoothly and is pretty much idiot proof, as you can only open it so far and it will only close so far. I also feel that because its not being adjustable makes it very user friendly.

Grip: I touched on this in quality, and I feel that the length and width of the handle make it easy to grip and control. The handle is plastic and may get slippery if covered with lather, but once any lather is washed off I feel that it is not slippery. It is not a 'tacky' feel like the Wilkinson sticky is but just a feel of plastic.

Ease of Blade Replacement: I feel that it is as easy to use as any twist to open model of DE can be. I am sure some are not as smooth in the opening mechanism but the ease of blade replacement is far beyond that of a two or three piece DE. I am not saying that I personally prefer this type over the take apart ones, I am just saying that it is less hassle to switch a blade due to the quick and easy twist open feature.

Aggressiveness: Here is probably why I never really liked it when I was starting out. I felt that it was a super aggressive razor. I had to be oh so careful or I would take off a lip. Now that I am using straights, I feel that the aggressiveness of this model is not what I initially thought it was. It is still more aggressive than say a slim boy or a fat boy set on 1, but it is not as aggressive as some others I have tried. A light touch and a proper angle and the aggressiveness is no longer an issue.

Adjustability: It is not adjustable, but I guess if someone were to tighten it more or less than another person, a slight amount of adjutability could be read into it.

Balance: Due to its handle and head base being made of plastic the weight is quite light. Yet the long handle balances the slightly heavier head (and its metal parts). Although my most used DE was the Merkur 34G (read short handle) I still like the feel of this light weight razor because of the balance I can get with the long handle. Very appropeiate in my mind.

Overall I think that it was hard to learn on but after becoming a straight razor shaver and learning to control the angle of the edge and the weight with which to shave, I feel that when I pick up this razor loaded with a fresh feather blade, I can get a fantastic shave with no irriatation.

I think I will always have this razor as it is also a very convenient package for a travel razor.

I just shaved with this feather razor (first DE) and it was the best, most comfortable shave I've ever had. I had used a Mach3, Schick Tracer, and various disposable two blade razors in the past and hated shaving due to the discomfort. NEVER AGAIN WILL I GO BACK. I purchased this razor based on other posts I had read on B&B. Got it on ebay for $23 with a 10 pack of Lord Super Stainless, 5 pack of Lord Platinum, 5 pack of Derby, and the two feather blades that came with the razor and free shipping to boot. I used the Lord Super Stainless blade based on other post stating that they are good for first timers, others had said the feathers (though a great blade) are very sharp and were not recommended for first timers. Started with King of Shaves oil and used Van Der Hagen Deluxe soap. I did two passes WTG and one ATG, got one very minor nick on my adams apple but couldn't even feel it. My scoring may be biased because I am a newbee but look at what i have to compare to. I would recommend this razor to anyone interested in DE shaving.

My first "proper razor" and i still use it in rotation now, feels light in the hand but because its quite long you get a good position when shaving and when starting out i felt very safe with this razor and found a good variety of blades worked well with it as well, derby, personna and i also think it will give me a lot more years use as well, worth buying if your new to de shaving.

Always looking for a smooth razor, I thought why not try the Feather Popular. It's a very smooth razor, in comparison to the Merkur 23c.
With the Feather blade it's nearly my every day setup.

I picked this razor up on a whim when I was shopping at a big department store in Tokyo. I paid about ¥800 for it--around $8 (USA) these days. It comes in a nice hinged plastic case that would probably work well for travel.

My first thought was, with all the plastic, it was going to be like a kid's version of a long-handled Gillette. I couldn't have been more wrong. I've looked it over and it feels pretty rugged. The TTO mechanism works smoothly and the blade locked down tight and secure. It's exceptionally light and requires only the softest touch. So far, I've used it with a Feather blade and MWF soap and it gives an excellent shave. It isn't terribly aggressive, but it gets the job done.

I wish that I had bought a handful of them--it would be a great razor to get somebody interested in wetshaving. If you are thinking about trying out a DE razor or you want a reliable travel razor, the Feather Popular is just what you've been looking for.

Price: Just about the cheapest razor around. Comes with a very nice travel case, too.

Quality: This razor is inexpensive and plastic, but it's of very high quality. Everything works smoothly and precisely. The metal parts are thick and well finished, and the plastic is substantial and not in the least chintzy feeling. This doesn't feel like a disposable razor or a lightweight toy.

User Friendly: It's not rocket science to shave or load a blade with this razor - no surprises here.

Grip: A little slicker than I would like - a Merkur is much grippier. It's not going to fly out of your hand, but a little more texture would be appreciated.

Blade Replacement: Simple, fast, perfect.

Aggressiveness: With non-Feather blades (Israeli Personnas for instance) this seemed a tad more agressive than my Merkur long-handle. A nice close shave without the feeling that you've cheated death.

Balance: Quite head-heavy - not great.

I haven't tried all that many safety razors, but this Feather seems every bit as good as my more durable and more expensive Merkur. Nothing to dismiss just because it's plastic.