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Best Blades for a Feather Artist Club SS?

Hi Guys,

I wanted to thank those who’ve contributed experience and advice and update after I’ve had a few more shaves.

My prep is all good and I feel technique is improving as tugging has pretty much disappeared. I will have a play around with different blades though in a month or so. I want to keep honing my technique.

I’ve found that not being so strict with the way in which I hold the razor seems to have helped me get around the pronounced curves and crevices on my neck. I’m currently using whatever grip feels natural for the strokes I’m taking. I’m only using my dominant hand at present but may try using both in future.
 
I’ve found that not being so strict with the way in which I hold the razor seems to have helped me get around the pronounced curves and crevices on my neck.
Great to hear this update! I've been making a lot of progress on mine as well. Doesn't this razor feel like it rewards creativity? (Is it the non-folding design?) I feel like I keep coming up with new ways to use it in different areas. The neck is still tough for me with this razor though.
 
Speaking of blade width and thickness, I made this reference chart, using information from this catalogue on the Feather website:

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This chart on Feather AC handles and blades/exposures may help you, when you decide to try some different blades. I couldn't find it now, but I think someone posted not too long ago similar information for the Schick Proline and the Kai Protouch blades also.

Sounds like you two are doing great with your Feathers!
 
Great to hear this update! I've been making a lot of progress on mine as well. Doesn't this razor feel like it rewards creativity? (Is it the non-folding design?) I feel like I keep coming up with new ways to use it in different areas. The neck is still tough for me with this razor though.

Glad to hear it’s also going well for you. What’s your pre and post shave routine?

Agree 100% on the creativity comment. I’m concentrating more on gliding the razor over the skin with the best angle and contact patch, rather than being strict with following WTG, ATG, etc.... atleast for my second pass. My first is as close to WTG as I can manage.

Yes it’s the non-folding version shown in post no.1.
 
This chart on Feather AC handles and blades/exposures may help you, when you decide to try some different blades. I couldn't find it now, but I think someone posted not too long ago similar information for the Schick Proline and the Kai Protouch blades also.

Sounds like you two are doing great with your Feathers!

Thank you, very useful.
 
Type1, I wouldn't worry too much about the neck.

It doesn't matter what method of shaving you use, shaving sideways (XTG) on the neck is problematic. The lower neck is acutely curved and covered with loose skin. I just go with the grain and then straight up, against the grain. You need three passes to get BBS, so I don't get BBS on my lower neck. But you still get a good shave.

And I think that is even more so, with a very sharp edge like a SS. Sharp edges and loose skin don't go well together.

The good news is that the ATG pass is excellent with the kamisori style of SS. I find it fits snugly in my hand, the sticky round end pushes snugly into my palm, and I can easily do upward sweeps. And the edge is so wickedly sharp that two passes does a good job.
 
Glad to hear it’s also going well for you. What’s your pre and post shave routine?

Agree 100% on the creativity comment. I’m concentrating more on gliding the razor over the skin with the best angle and contact patch, rather than being strict with following WTG, ATG, etc.... atleast for my second pass. My first is as close to WTG as I can manage.

Yes it’s the non-folding version shown in post no.1.
Sorry, I wasn't clear there--I knew you are using the non-folding version--I was wondering out loud if the design itself makes it more versatile or something compared to a folding-style version. This is probably a YMMV thing. A lot of guys with tons of experience with folding shavettes and straight razors would probably say they're not sacrificing anything, but I feel as a newbie myself, not having to think about positioning any scales is kind of nice.

My pre-shave: (1) hot shower, during which I work in a small amount of AOS preshave oil into my skin, and keep working plenty of warm water into the skin and beard throughout. By the end of the shower, I can't really feel that much oil at all. Rationale: I think the oil might help prepare the skin for the shave. I'm not trying to make the beard slick, just give my skin some TLC. I'm eventually going to experiment with skipping this step. (2) splash cold water at the sink to begin a cold shave process. This helps reduce irritation a lot. (3) Add a little glycerin to assist with hydration of skin and beard while I prep the lather.

Post-shave: (1) cold water rinse. (2) Aftershave splash--usually mentholated unscented from Stirling. (3) Nivea balm.

How is your pre/postshave routine treating you? I forget if you posted it earlier.
 
Hey nicked78,

I bought the non folding style, just because I don't have a kamisori. Also I thought it's a Japanese style, I really should try it their way.

I'm glad I did. There's no reason for the foldover protection, as it's a shavette. When you travel, you take out the blade. I think a large advantage is ease of travelling. You can get straight razor shaves with no gear.

But the non folding style actually adds an interesting benefit. Going upwards, the razor is held inside the palm and the whole thing fits snugly in there. Going ATG seems easier with a kamisori. The other two passes, no real benefit.

Anyway. Try something new. There is an old Chinese saying that for every new dish you try, you live another thirty days.

I see you're working hard to avoid irritation. For me, I found that shaving technique helped the most. Flat angles and light touch. Overcoming a lifetime of cartridge habits, which meant pushing too hard and using steep angles. Holy cow, using cartridge habits with a straight was bad news.

Took ages to unlearn all those bad habits, but it sure helped in the end.

For me, anyway.
 
My pre-shave: (1) hot shower, during which I work in a small amount of AOS preshave oil into my skin, and keep working plenty of warm water into the skin and beard throughout. By the end of the shower, I can't really feel that much oil at all. Rationale: I think the oil might help prepare the skin for the shave. I'm not trying to make the beard slick, just give my skin some TLC. I'm eventually going to experiment with skipping this step. (2) splash cold water at the sink to begin a cold shave process. This helps reduce irritation a lot. (3) Add a little glycerin to assist with hydration of skin and beard while I prep the lather.

Post-shave: (1) cold water rinse. (2) Aftershave splash--usually mentholated unscented from Stirling. (3) Nivea balm.

How is your pre/postshave routine treating you? I forget if you posted it earlier.
@Type1, this is one of those "never-ending debates" and a lot of folks will simply label it as another "YMMV" thing, but then scientifically it is not YMMV. Hear me out - showering extensively before the shave, especially with hot water is counterproductive. Massaging the oil into your face while in the shower and then rinsing it all off defeats the purpose. The problem is that your soap/shampoo will wash out the NATURAL oils from your skin and this is - put simply - bad, as these natural oils protect your skin.

Instead, try omitting the shower and simply splash your face with mildly warm water to soak the whiskers. Then lather up and shave. Then take a shower.

Re cold-water, while it does help to reduce irritation, the point is you should NOT have any irritation. If you do, it's mainly your technique and possibly the quality of products (soap/cream) you use. There's nothing else to it. You can rinse your face with cold water post shower, if you like that. I do it sometimes, but it's not a "must".
 
@Type1, this is one of those "never-ending debates" and a lot of folks will simply label it as another "YMMV" thing, but then scientifically it is not YMMV. Hear me out - showering extensively before the shave, especially with hot water is counterproductive. Massaging the oil into your face while in the shower and then rinsing it all off defeats the purpose. The problem is that your soap/shampoo will wash out the NATURAL oils from your skin and this is - put simply - bad, as these natural oils protect your skin.

Instead, try omitting the shower and simply splash your face with mildly warm water to soak the whiskers. Then lather up and shave. Then take a shower.

Re cold-water, while it does help to reduce irritation, the point is you should NOT have any irritation. If you do, it's mainly your technique and possibly the quality of products (soap/cream) you use. There's nothing else to it. You can rinse your face with cold water post shower, if you like that. I do it sometimes, but it's not a "must".
To be fair, it isn't the OP (@Type1) who is putting expensive products on his face and then washing them off, it's me 🙃 Or rather, was. He'd asked me about my pre/post routine. I continue to simplify it as you recommend and find that less is indeed more. I've skipped the preshave oil the last couple days and don't particularly miss it. For a while now, I haven't been using soap/shampoo on my face in the shower, either, for the reason you noted. Just water. Actually the only time I wash my face with soap anymore is lathering up for the daily shave. Hopefully this answers @Type1's question better. Thanks!
 
Yes, hot water on the face and softening the hairs is the most important pre shave step. Even a sharp razor will struggle against hard bristles. And you'll feel that struggle.

I can get away with soap on my face in the shower, but I don't have sensitive skin.

I agree that the soap's not needed though. The barbers would just use hot wet towels and no soap.

That might be something for you to try, Nicket. If I am going to shave and I'm not going to shower, I soak a small towel in a sink of steaming hot water, hold it on my face. After say ten seconds it cools a bit, I reheat it, and do again, for a few times.

It sounds like you have sensitive skin. The towel treatment may help.

In my experience, having raw skin is due to one of two things. First, too steep a shave angle will exfoliate far too much skin. The aftershave will burn like fire. If it's not that, then it's because the razor is struggling to cut through the hair and is tugging and pulling on the follicles. That also leads to irritation. And that is solved by making the hairs softer and the razor sharper.

Making the hairs softer is easy. Sharp razors though, that topic is too large for this little post.
 
To be fair, it isn't the OP (@Type1) who is putting expensive products on his face and then washing them off, it's me 🙃 Or rather, was. He'd asked me about my pre/post routine. I continue to simplify it as you recommend and find that less is indeed more. I've skipped the preshave oil the last couple days and don't particularly miss it. For a while now, I haven't been using soap/shampoo on my face in the shower, either, for the reason you noted. Just water. Actually the only time I wash my face with soap anymore is lathering up for the daily shave. Hopefully this answers @Type1's question better. Thanks!
Tnx @nicked78, happy it works out for you! My mistake obviously in tagging the OP instead of you, sorry.
 
On the blade conversation, for tough beards and/or more than 2 days growth I would avoid the guarded blades. I feel they hinder the shave instead of helping.

My preference goes to the Schick Proline (P) by a large margin. Unfortunately, they are not available in the EU.
 
Some UK retailers carry them though: Schick Proline P-30 (connaughtshaving.com)

Not part of the EU, so it's not an option.

Or Amazon Japan

I remember buying a Feather Custom on the bay from Japan, which is fairly cheap and the, well, customs was about the same value as the razor itself. So, also not an option.
 
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