GIVEAWAY! Challenge PIF - In The Footsteps Of Legends

[BigJ]

Feather blade two, shave #3

Razor: Wolfman WR1
Brush: Simpsons classic 2 best badger
Soap: PdP #63
AS: OS classic

Rating: 10/10!!

Discussion: Best outing yet for this Feather!!

 

[Ted A]

Kai #1, shave #7

Razor: Gillette Blue Tip
Blade: Kai (7)
Bowl: Captain’s Choice copper
Brush: Yaqi Green Obsidian 24mm synthetic
Lather: Razorock Blue
Aftershave: Bootleggers Perfecto
EdT: Cuba Orange

My lather was not very good today. But the combination of the razor and blade produced a solid DFS. At times it felt as if there was no blade at all in the razor. Because the lather wasn’t so good I skipped any touch ups.

 

[slimshavy]

Kai: Blade Two, Shave Four
Gillette NEW short comb

After swapping out my Red Tip for a NEW and giving the Kai a third shave, I gave it a fourth shave in the same NEW. The previous shave had done well enough that there was less stubble than usual for my every-other-day shave routine, and the first two passes reduced it to near-SAS levels.

Alas, I went for a third pass ATG, and my typical fourth mustache pass but very little cleanup, as my daughter was bugging me to hurry up so she could use the sink. I thought the shave went very well and was glad I didn't overdo it with the cleanup, as I could have irritated my jaw and soul patch area.

It eventually became clear that it wasn't as great of a shave as I thought, as my skin became quite dry and even scaly. I had noticed the blade raising bumps in my soul patch, which is a sign that it's pulling more than cutting. I left the bumps intact and when they resolved themselves I could feel uncut stubble poking out. My mustache area had the worst of the dryness and scaling. I'm guessing the blade is dulled or nicked enough to hit chunks of skin superficially.

I used a shallow angle and didn't get many nicks but the dryness was so uncomfortable that I had to use face lotion only a half hour or so after shaving. Normally I wait an hour or two before applying lotion, as it irritates my face and makes my neck itchy if I apply soon after a shave. It did the same today and reopened some small nicks plus brought out many irritated red spots.

The irritation has resolved itself and I still have a pretty decent shave. It won't be as long lasting as the previous one and I won't use this Kai again. Four shaves on a single blade is a good mark for me. I think swapping razors mid-trial was also a good choice. I'll be back with the Round 2 Feather-Kai rundown.

 

[Demolition]

Eighth shave with the Legendary Feather Hi-Stainless blade #1

Razor: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Yaqi Purple 24mm Mink
Soap: Tabac Shaving Soap (Non-Tallow)

Not bad!

Now that I've overcome some of the technical issues with my Feather shaves, I've received two good shaves in a row. The previous one was a revelation because, for the first time with a Feather, I didn't experience any post-shave irritation or sensitivity.

Today's shave was very similar. Once again using a more cushiony lather than I'd normally prepare, I managed three smooth, trouble-free passes with no irritation. I performed some minor buffing around the Adam's apple and under my chin to reach DFS. However, that's as far as I was willing to push my luck.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with what I've learned about the Feather. It's still not my cup of tea, but I no longer dread using it when it comes up in the rotation.

 

[slimshavy]

Round Two, Head to Head
Shaver: Gillette Red Tip (at least at first)

Shave One:
Both Feather and Kai give me close, smooth shaves and few nicks. Feather's nicks bleed more and its stubble comes back sooner. Winner: Kai
Shave Two:
Both were similar in that they would have been great two-pass shaves but I went for BBS. Kai needed extra help getting close on cleanup, so winner: Feather
Shave Three:
I broke the comparison here. I kept the Feather in the Red Tip but it was both no longer cutting close enough and cutting my face. When it came to the third Kai shave, I didn't bother in the Red Tip, but put it in a Gillette NEW SC. I had a great shave, but it's cheating. Winner: Disqualified
Shave Four:
The Feather was done after the third shave. I feel pretty strongly that it didn't have any life left in it, so I don't feel bad for not giving it a try in a more nimble razor as I did the Kai. The Kai didn't give me the best shave, but it survived the shave. Winner: Kai

Round One Winner: Feather
Round Two Winner: Kai
Overall contest winner:
This could not have been more close. Each won two shaves, lost one and tied one. I'd call this a draw but no serious contests seem to allow draws anymore. Press me and I'll call Kai the winner, perhaps for recency bias. I feel like I found a good match in the NEW SC for the Kai. If I did this contest again, I might start both of them in the NEW. That said, I've used the Feather before, in a Merkur 34C, so I've used both in the same number of razors.

I still have a few Feathers around. I don't think I'll use them for awhile, but I'll think about the razor when I do. The Slim or the NEW, probably. If I come across a Kai, I'll probably use it.

I won't buy either of these blades, as they didn't pass my economy test: giving me more good shaves than my inexpensive standbys that give me three or four good shaves. I really nail down the technique I might be able to get better shaves out of Kai or Feather, and possibly one more shave total. But that still puts me on par with what I get for much less money from razors that reliably give me close, enjoyable shaves, such as Astra SS (blue) and Voskhod. Even the razors that are a mixed bag for performance (Rapira), price (German Wilkinson Sword) or both (Nacet, Bic) outrank the Feathers and Kais for me. Feather and Kai both, at their best, do give me among the longest-lasting shaves.

Thank you to @Grundi for organizing this and setting me up! I feel I've learned a lot about technique, particularly in adjusting to incorporate shallow-angle shaving when the razor and blade call for it (and in knowing when they're calling for it). I'm a better shaver now and I'm excited to take this knowledge forward.

 

[Mike M]

Kai shave #9

Razor: Parker 26C
Blade: Kai
Soap: RazoRock XXX
Brush: Yaqi Timberwolf

OK I finally bit the bullet and after last night's abysmal effort with the Feather I ditched the KCG in favour of the Parker 26C because it is just that bit more aggressive. The RR XXX soap, like all the RR soaps I have has a nice scent, but is not the slickest or most cushioned soap.
Tonight was back to the Kai and the first WTG pass with the 26C showed just how much more aggressive it is. Straight away I could feel the difference as it just mowed through the stubble. Pass two XTG was again aggressive, but not unpleasantly so, the Kai is, for me a smooth blade and usually comfortable but it can bite you if you get a little overconfident. By pass 3 ATG it was easy to tell that this was going to be another classic Kai BBS shave. It seems my faith in the 26C has not been misplaced and a simple 3 pass shave has given me yet another BBS

Tomorrow Feather

 

[gvw755]

Shave 8 with my Kai blade. Tonight it was loaded in my new Fatip Lo Storto Testina Gentile. I bought the OC version when it first came out a while ago and so have some experience with the Fatip slant, however this was my first shave with the SB version.

WTG pass started out mild and I found (for the first time during the challenge) that I needed to adjust the angle to be a little more aggressive. The Fatip slant had no problem with finding a more aggressive angle and the WTG pass went very well. The ATG pass went without any problems, but there was enough stubble left where I could either do a dry touch up or my usual XTG pass along my jaw line and under my chin. I decided on the XTG pass and ended up with another effortless BBS.

The Feather is already loaded for tomorrow's shave. I have to see if I need to adjust the angle to be more aggressive again.

 

[srqshaver]

This is my final formal comment for this challenge. I failed to post all my shaves but the general result was that I very much enjoyed the Kai blad and, as has always been the case this far, uncomfortable, irritating shaves with the Feather. I have a tuck or two of them that are going to get tucked away (ha!) for sometime in the future when I hope I will have better shaves with them. I bought 50 Kai and plan to use them regularly.

I really enjoyed participating in this challenge. It gave me a reason to focus on one thing which can be a challenge for me amidst my raging caseS of RAD and BAD.

 

[bartje-p]

Feather blade 2, shave #2
Gillette Super speed Flare tip USA , 1954
Tabac Original
Omega boar brush 10018
2 passes (with touch ups if needed)

Second shave with the second Feather blade, again paired with the FT razor. Great shave again, very comfortable, no sting afterwards. Will keep using this blade in this razor, so I can properly tell (again) when it starts going downhill. This blade now equals the outcome of the first Feather blade, see if it holds up any longer.

Feather blade 2, shave #3
Gillette Super speed Flare tip USA , 1954
Truefitt and Hill Apsley
Omega boar brush 10049
2 passes (with touch ups if needed)

Third shave with same razor. Outcome: no complaints, still very comfortable shave. I do notice with the Feather blade, that the stubble seems to return a bit quicker than with other blades. Perhaps I shave a bit less deep, because of the lack of pressure used with this (sharp) blade? A nice shave again, no signs of fading yet.

 

[fast shaver]

Feather Blade #2 Shave #5
Tools: DOC Razor & Arko Soap.
Got a nice three pass shave this A.M. plus some minor touchup.
No nicks or irritation noted.

 

[Demolition]

Eighth shave with the Mysterous Kai Stainless blade #1

Razor: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Maggard 18mm Timber Wolf, Travel-Size
Soap: RazoRock Green Label

Another quick, comfy shave from the FOCS/Kai Duo.

There has been no decline in performance since the last use, so I enjoyed another great, "autopilot" shave. The ATG and XTG passes required barely any effort and were completed before I knew it.

Efficiency and comfort level are still excellent. Only a few light buffing strokes were required to achieve an easy BBS.

Overall, I'm very impressed by the consistency of this blade from shave to shave. So far, this has been the area in which the Kai has really outshined the Feather.

 

[Balthier]

Blade: Kai #1 shave 6
Razor: Gillette Blue tip
Brush: Turn 'n shave Ghost
Soap: Caties Bubbles Blugere
Aftershave: PAA Garden of Bali
Was an easy shave. I haven't noticed much more drag, but seems to have lost some of it's sharpness. Feels smooth still. I might prefer it less sharp, it feels like a more universal blade that I could use in almost any razor, mild or aggressive.

 

[Zig the Pirate]

I'm in! DM incoming.

 

[gvw755]

Shave 8 with the Feather blade in my Fatip slant SB. Unlike last night where I had to adjust the angle to make the Kai more efficient, the Feather just went right to work. WTG pass was very smooth and efficient. ATG pass was the same, however I noticed that there was some very fine stubble left over, which required me to do some serious touch up. Still I ended up with another BBS. What I am starting to notice about the Feather is similar to what I noticed about the Polsilver where as it starts reaching the end of it's usefulness, it does not tug or pull. It still cuts very well, but just not as close. I will watch out for this for one more set of shaves.

Yes, I know that I was supposed to end my formal participation in this challenge with tonight's shave, however another relatively new razor arrived today (it was supposed to arrive on the weekend). So another first shave with another razor just recently released.

Stay tuned - same bat time, same bat channel....

 

[Mike M]

Feather shave#9

Razor: Parker 26C
Blade: Feather
Soap: RazoRock XXX
Brush: Yaqi Timberwolf

I thought I needed to use a more aggressive razor to make the Feather give a better shave, I was wrong. The first WTG pass was quite comfortable and I thought that maybe the Feather was going to surprise me and beat the Kai for once, but that was not to be. The second XTG pass was not at all comfortable and by the time I was finished I had a small weeper on my neck. The third ATG pass was also uncomfortable and by the time I was finished my neck was definitely feeling worse for wear. I will return to a milder razor for my tenth shave, but if it does not improve myself and the Feather will have to part company leaving just the Kai to continue along alone.

Tomorrow Kai

 

[Yuritau]

Tenth shave, third Feather (1)
Fendrihan Mk II, Maggard 18mm Travel Synthetic, Tabac

Another new arrival! Maggards 18mm Travel Synthetic for $8 from their black Friday sale. Never tried a synthetic, and I strongly prefer small brushes, so this seemed like a good opportunity. And I'm so glad I took it.

It lathered my Tabac like it was an old pro, and it has great hair properties to boot: soft tips, good backbone, almost no scritch.

As for the Feather in the Mk II, I was apprehensive about this, due to how aggressive the razor felt with a Wilkinson Sword blade, but with a careful hand I think it may have been the single smoothest shave I've ever had with a Feather. If this continues, Kai is going to have a tough time besting it.

I did get one weeper on the first pass, but I didn't even notice it until I was lathering for the second pass. Apart from that, it was a near flawless shave!

 

[Grundi]

I'm in! DM incoming.

You are in!! I still have Legendary Blades to give out to anyone wanting to walk (or shave) in the Footsteps of Legends!!

 

[cwright]

Kai #1 Shave 7
RR BBS AS, Stirling soap, Proraso Red pre shave, Captains Choice Sandalwood, Stirling Splash, Stirling Balm.
No drama 3 pass DFS. Kai delivered another great shave, loosing a little edge but still ok, maybe one more??? Another win for Kai, Feather long gone.

 

[bartje-p]

Feather blade 2, shave #4
Gillette Super speed Flare tip USA , 1954
Cella Milano Red (almond)
Omega boar brush 10018
2 passes (with touch ups if needed)

Fourth and final shave with the same razor and blade. Outcome: no complaints, still very comfortable shave. But I had to work a bit harder today and was starting to feel a bit of tugging every here and there. So this was last shave with this blade. Hey.... 2 more than with the first blade ;-) . Next up, last Kai blade.

Conclusion Feather blades: while they are comfortabel and are know for their sharpness, their durabillity is nothing special. I never had any nicks with them, but I only use rather non-aggressive razors. If you take the price into account too, for my shaving, there are blades with a better price/quality ratio. Anyway, it was good to get re-acquainted with this blade again. What you dislike at first, may turn around later on with other razors and more experience. So thanks again for this opportunity. Will report back with the last Kai blade.

 

[fast shaver]

Feather Blade #2 Shave #6
Tools: DOC Razor & RR Black Label Soap
The Feather is not slowing down yet.!
Got a nice three pass shave plus touchup this A.M.