If I am a daily shaver and my strategy is to do one pass with the grain would I get a closer shave using feather blade then let’s say Gillette silver blue or not. Someone people do say you get a closer shave but if the actual dimensions of the blade are the same then do you get a closer shave with a feather blade?
Blade question
- Thread starter Madeinussr1981
- Start date
Yes one gets a closer shave with a Feather than GSB. The sharper the blade the closer the shave.
I get a closer shave with the Feathers, or need fewer passes to get a close enough shave. The dimensions of the blade are about the same, but the steel used, the way the edges are ground & coatings used are different between blades.
There are some micrographs people have taken floating around the site. You can see the Feather blade edges are shaped differently. They may not last as many shaves as some others.
BTW, did you know Feather sells surgical equipment, like scalpels? Shaving blades are just a small part of the business.
There are some micrographs people have taken floating around the site. You can see the Feather blade edges are shaped differently. They may not last as many shaves as some others.
BTW, did you know Feather sells surgical equipment, like scalpels? Shaving blades are just a small part of the business.
Kai blades are a fraction of a mm wider, and really do ramp up efficiency on a mild razor. More expensive blade, but excellent.
Impossible to say. There’s more to a close shave than just a blade.
I don’t see how anyone can possibly say what blade will give someone else a closer or better shave than any other blade. Just because Feather gives me a close shave over GSB does not in any way mean it will give someone else a closer shave as well.
Your best and only option to figure this out is the try both blades yourself. You can use The Great Blade Exchange here on B&B to exchange blades if you don’t have them both. Or find a vendor selling a tuck of each.
Your best and only option to figure this out is the try both blades yourself. You can use The Great Blade Exchange here on B&B to exchange blades if you don’t have them both. Or find a vendor selling a tuck of each.
OP this is an answer that is based on experience.
As is this one.
This.
I have no idea why people continue to assume that their personal experience with a blade will be the same for everyone else. Absolutely not the case.
I can get the same BBS shave with many blades other than the ones considered the sharpest (Feather, KAI and BIC).
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
They do indeed, however the requirements for a scalpel's are very different from what is required for shaving whiskers.
From knowing well and speaking with some very experienced surgeons, scalpels are designed to cut meat. They require a certain amount of a fine sawtooth edge, much more so than is desired in razor blade edges.
Same with KAI. They also make highly respected Shun and Zero Tolerance knives. They also own Kershaw which makes some nice knives as well.
One pass? With clean up? To each their own but I would think 2 passes even with aggressive razors.
I really tried to like feathers but they were just to rough on my face i still have a few left somewhere and I'll probably give them a try somewhere later down the road. Nacets and GSBs on the other hand give me BBS shaves and are butter smooth but as has been said on here many times blades are one of the most YMMV item's on B&B.
All things being equal - which they never are - a sharper blade will probably give you a closer shave. But the difference between a GSB and a Feather is pretty darn small, so I might be surprised to find a noticeable difference.
If you're only doing one pass I would not worry about a tiny difference one way or the other. I'd find a blade I liked, and GSB is plenty sharp enough for someone who likes a sharp blade. I suspect any difference in the shave would require measurement tools you don't own to perceive a difference.
+2! Yes indeed!
First, YMMV is the rule, especially for blades.
Second, for many (including me) blade choice depends on the razor.
Most important, trying different blades is part of the fun!!
I've been a 1 pass WTG shaver for a few years now. I shave at night too. My go to is an Astra Superior Platinum with the odd Polsilver or Super Iridium thrown in here and there.
Closer doesn't always mean better. I strive for an irritation free shave. That's what I get with my blades of choice. I may be able to get a tiny bit closer with a Feather or more aggressive razor, I use a RR Mamba (the mold one), but the trade off would be a redness, irritation and possible weepers for me. I agree fully with what @musicman1951 said as wall as the others, blades are subjective. No one but you is going to notice to difference between the closeness of a Feather or GSB.
I'd stick with whatever you are most comfortable with and not worry about the microscopic difference in closeness between a different blade that may irritate you at the same time.
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I think a lot of the "YMMV" is because of differences in beard i.e. whisker, thickness/strength and prep time. For a smooth, comfortable shave, you absolutely MUST fully hydrate the whiskers! This takes time! Not everyone is patient enough to wait for the whiskers to hydrate properly, and they try to shave before they have softened. I have heard that shaving dehydrated whiskers is like trying to cut copper wire of the same diameter. Guess what that hard whisker is going to do to an extremely sharp, thin razor blade like Feathers. You want to scrape that blade across your skin and try to get a close shave with it?! Nope, been there, done that, and it hurts! Now, IF you properly hydrate your whiskers, that Feather is going to go through it like a hot knife through butter. The blade will not get all nicked up, and you will get a smooth, comfortable shave. You will also get more shaves from that blade. Again, the key to a good shave is taking your time, allowing the whiskers to hydrate and taking your time with the shaving. If you are only wanting to do a one pass shave, I suspect it is to save time. If you won't be taking the time to properly hydrate the whiskers, then I'd recommend that you use a thicker, stronger edge razor blade that won't nick up easy like the fine edge Feather. And if you are really pressed for time, buy a rechargeable electric shaver, and shave on your way to wherever you need to be. Just let me know when and where you will be driving, ahead of time, so I can get off the street/highway and warn the citizenry. 
The problem with trying to do a single pass shave and get reasonably close is that there is a tendency to shave with pressure, not matter which blade and razor you are using. I have always read that the objective of shaving is beard reduction. Each pass should be done to reduce the beard, not to totally remove it in one pass. Besides one pass WTG is never going to give very close unless you are using a multi-blade cartridge razor.
I have a tough beard and very sensitive skin. If I tried to do a one pass shave, I would tear my face to shreds. I normally do a four-pass shave: WTG, XTG and ATG plus a 4th clean-up pass, primarily on my chin and jaw line which are difficult to shave. Even at that, I only consider the shave to be near-BBS.
The OP never indicated the type of razor being used. A more efficient razor with a less sharp blade might be just as effective as a mild razor with a Feather blade. Likewise, someone with a fine beard is not going to need nearly as sharp a blade as someone whose beard is as coarse as mine.
I have a tough beard and very sensitive skin. If I tried to do a one pass shave, I would tear my face to shreds. I normally do a four-pass shave: WTG, XTG and ATG plus a 4th clean-up pass, primarily on my chin and jaw line which are difficult to shave. Even at that, I only consider the shave to be near-BBS.
The OP never indicated the type of razor being used. A more efficient razor with a less sharp blade might be just as effective as a mild razor with a Feather blade. Likewise, someone with a fine beard is not going to need nearly as sharp a blade as someone whose beard is as coarse as mine.
I'm a daily shaver as well and I can conclude is that every blade gets me where I need to be. Some need more passes than others but they all get me across the finish line. Their is an excellent Blade Exchange program offered in the forum and I encourage you to check it out!
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