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GIVEAWAY! Challenge PIF - In The Footsteps Of Legends

Blade: Feather #1 shave 1
Razor: Blue merkur 38c
Brush: Turn 'n shave Ghost
Soap: Blackship grooming ghost ship
Aftershave: B&M Fougere Angelique
Pretty sure feathers are my favorite blades minus longevity which I will test out a little more thoroughly. I haven't found them to be intimidating at all because they are so smooth, I don't really need to buff either. One of the smoothest dfs shaves I have had in a long time.
 
Feather #1 Shave 1
RR BBS AS, Stirling soap, Proraso Red pre shave, Stirling Vanilla Sandalwood, Stirling Splash, Stirling Balm.
3 pass, no pressure, no nicks or weepers, DFS+. 48 hr since last shave, Feather a little extra blade feel on 1st use, should be better next shave.
 
Not participating in this generous PIF b/c—
- I have tucks of both of these blades.
- l’m still working on the last PIF of Polsilvers. (I owe a write up on blade #3 in my Masamune.)

Happy Thanksgiving, all.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and all my B&B family!!

I love these Challenges and Participation PIFs!! I get to try the blades, too, and some have been surprisingly long lasting!!
 
Feather: Blade 1, Shave 3:
Gillette Old Type thick cap

That was the worst shave I’ve had since I was still learning DE shaving technique. I could tell it was catching and dragging even on the first pass, and got my first couple nicks on the second pass, but I carried on for you and for science. The third pass, ATG, was a bloodbath. Under my jaws was angry red and nicked all over. Nicks along the sides of my soul patch actually stung, unlike most nicks. I put the blade in the recycling pile.
So here’s the thing: After aftershave (burny!) and washcloth blotting, the bleeding stopped sooner than expected and left no marks. My face, now dry, is a very nice BBS. I’ll wait an hour or so as usual to put on lotion, and we’ll see how it feels. For the horrible shaving experience, I might end up with a good shave in the end.
(Two hours later): there’s definitely irritation and itching but my face is very smooth. The level of irritation feels like that of a fourth shave on one of my other blades. It feels like it’s closer than those; regardless, I wonder if it would be madness to give this blade another shave.
 
Kai shave #3- Happy Thanksgiving!

Today's shave, Thursday 11/25, very close with two and 1/2 passes, a clean shave with no weepers, and just a hint of chin irritation:

Pre-shave: shower
Razor: Maxwell June twinned DE
Blade: Kai DE (3) - still sharp but not quite as smooth in this razor
Soap: Cella Red
Brush: SOC Boar
Post-shave: cool rinse, then Humphrey's WH

This Kai blade seems to be a good balance between sharp and smooth. Shave today was DFS. On a scale of 1 to 10 (best) for blade attributes, today's outing was:

Closeness/Sharpness: 8
Smoothness: 7+
Longevity: a noticeable fall off in performance from yesterday. Maybe the blade, maybe my choice of razor?

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Messygoon

Abandoned By Gypsies.
Kai blade 1, shave 1

Razor: Rockwell 6S, #4 plate
Blade: Kai (1)
Brush: Zenith aluminum boar, 27mm
Soap: Haslinger Schafmilch
Pre-Shave: Hot shower only
Aftershave: Nivea Cooling
Growth: 24 hours
Passes: WTG, ATG, cleanup
Rating: 9/10

First time using a Kai blade. With a reputation for ultra sharpness, decided to mitigate risk by using my most forgiving razor. There was a little more audible feedback than my usual Astra stainless blade. No irritation, no weepers, and a gloriously smooth shave. Really enjoyed this morning’s shave.

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Feather Blade #1 - Shave #2

Equipment:
Merkur 20C, Legendary Feather (2), CTS Mr. Pepper Soap

The Results: very nice shave, slightly more blade feel, no weepers or irritation. CTS Mr. Pepper is a great scent and the performance is very good. This Feather is still feeling sharp.
 
Fri 26 Starting the Feather vs Kai Challenge! Happy Thanksgiving to All!
Legendary Feather Blade #1 Shave #1
Soap
Stirling Boat Drinks
Brush Yaqi 24mm Mojito 2 Band Badger
Razor EJ DE89L- My very 1st DE razor
Blade Feather Hi-Stainless - My very 1st DE blade and also the most in stock!
Aftershaves Stirling Witchhazel Lemon Chill + Stirling Iced Pineapple
Absolutely love this soap! Very enjoyable scent with a nice creamy and slick lather...
The shave with my very 1st DE razor/blade brought back some memories...hahaha. Haven't used this pairing for a loooong time. Oh my...it was silky smooth yet crisply sharp, like a hot knife thru butter. Very comfortable 3passes for a dolphin smooth finish. Aftershaves were excellent. Very enjoyable session.
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Shave 2, Feather (2)
Tradere OC, Tabac, Wee Scot

With the first shave out of the way, Feather and I could start this shave on more comfortable ground with each other, giving me the chance to tilt that razor angle all the way towards the blade. Minimal interference from the comb so Feather can be as near as it can to a straight, as I suspect that's what Feathers secretly dream of being.

I carry the light hand over from the first shave and put in three passes (W/X/A) plus a couple touch-ups in my trouble spots. Tabac does what it always does and keeps everything smooth and comfortable. I hardly ever chase the ultimate smooth face, but with Feather on the job it gets there anyways, if I give it the respect it deserves.
 
me the chance to tilt that razor angle all the way towards the blade. Minimal interference from the comb so Feather can be as near as it can to a straight, as I suspect that's what Feathers secretly dream of being
Are you talking about using an extremely shallow angle here? I wonder if my bad experience with Feathers is that I shave at a steep angle.
 
Feather: Blade One, Shave Four
Gillette Old Type thick cap

I went mad and pulled the blade out of the recycling for one more go. It’s definitely duller, but I felt that the lingering closeness of the third shave earned it a reprieve despite the violence of the shave itself. Also, I figured if this blade at least cuts closely, I can adjust to keep the good (lasting shaves) and eliminate the bad (cuts, burning).

Well, the fourth shave had fewer cuts than the third. I backed off and/or went shallower on mustache and mustache sides and the under-jaw/neck. As a result, I don’t have a true BBS; I can feel stubble on those spots and on soul patch. Elsewhere is BBS, though my skin didn’t love it. The blade is gone for sure but I feel I’ve proved something to myself. Looking forward to testing a Kai for the first time.
 
Feather #1 Shave 2
RR BBS AS, Stirling soap, Proraso Red pre shave, Stirling Vanilla Sandalwood, Stirling Splash, Stirling Balm.
3 pass, no pressure (beard reduction), no nicks or weepers, DFS+. 32 hr since last shave, Feather a little better 2nd use, no quite as harsh.
 
Feather shave #1- Happy Black Friday!

Today's shave, Friday 11/26, very close with three passes, a clean shave with no weepers, and just a bit of ATG stubble felt under my chin and right jawline:

Pre-shave: shower
Razor: RR Lupo Aluminum
Blade: Feather (1)
Soap: Stirling Varen- lovely bowl of lather
Brush: Zenith P2 budget boar
Post-shave: cool rinse, then decanted Clubman; I did feel a little burn today

I've used Feather blades on and off for years, they are always really sharp and depending upon the razor may sometimes come off as harsh and leave me with some weepers- not today. In the RR Lupo Al the Feather blade seemed to be as sharp as expected, but a bit smoother than I expected, an excellent balance. My shave today was DFS+.

On a scale of 1 to 10 (best) for blade attributes, today's outing was:
Closeness/Sharpness: 9+, as expected
Smoothness: 9, a bit higher than expected
Longevity: too early to tell, only shave 1. Past experience has been 3-4 shaves before I feel the blade is no longer great.

BTW the RR Lupo AL was on sale this morning for $20 at Italian Barber.

Cheers, all!
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Kai Blade 1, shave 1

Razor: EJ DE89
Soap: Razorock XXX Fresco

This is the first time I've ever tried a Kai blade. My initial thought as I started was that it was pulling a little. However, I had 2 days growth, so I'm giving it some grace for that. I did two passes, WTG and ATG (my normal technique). The ATG pass was more comfortable than the WTG pass, which is why I think the thicker stubble was the culprit on the first pass. I also got a couple of small weepers on the first pass--but they closed with cold water. That was this morning, and as I feel my face 8 hours later it's still very smooth. So excellent result, despite it not being the most comfortable first pass ever. I'm going to use the same combination tomorrow.
 
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