Relative newbie (1 year of wet shaving) and wanted to share my Experiance with the feather as I have has for a month. I have used a ej 89 something or other, a merkur futur and a Gillette slim. With all of them, and an open comb, i have had presistent problems with cutting my chin and irritation/weapers on the lower neck. Tried to work on technique and blade combinations but never was able to alleviate completly and consistenly. Never really took to the ej, my first one. I like the futur, especially on several day growth. The slim was smoother but too mild at a lower settings The thing I have realized with the adjustables however is that by their very nature their geometry is compromised at every setting but one (not necessarily the numerical setting of 1). This is because these adjust the blade gap but not the angle between the top, the blade, and the comb/gaurd. Blade gap, angle, and thus effective exposure, change in a non-linear way as a result. This requires adjusting the angle one holds the razor, but at the extremes can mean that one is really just trying to compensate for compromised geometry. But what I learned through all this is a super sharp blade (feather) plus a mild setting seemed best. I have pretty course beard and sensitive skin. So it's hard to find a combination that cuts but does not cause irritation.
For that reason I took the plunge to the feather all stainless. This is in a league above all the rest I have tried. As everyone knows, build quality, material finish and even packaging is simply amazing. As it should be for the price. Most importantly its by far the best shaving razor i have used. I pooped a feather blade in it and from the first shave it was simple amazing. First, it is super super smooth. Glides on the face like its floating on air. Part of this might be the satin finish and part of it is surely the geometry. Second, the balance and handle design means you can have super accuracy and precision. Lastly, it is super sharp but so super safe/mild/low irritation. I find it effortless to shave the chin area without ever nicking myself. Where the slim on a low setting would not nick it also would not really reduce the beard effectively. While at higher settings, or the ej or futur would Reduce growth it was also very Easy to slice into the skin where my chin curves most, or wib lighter pressure skip and catch, etc. With the feather it glides, reduces with no pressure and it seems impossible to nick. On the neck, again super smooth and effective and I have never had irritation.
Now it's true that getting to dfs/ bbs takes three - four passes (wtg, xtg, atg) and a bit of blade buffing in a couple spots. But I have had trouble with those spots with every other razor as well. And blade buffing with the feather as is both easy, safe, irritation free and effective. I have never managed to blade buff with another razor without some serious burn afterwards. And it does not take substantially more passes than others I have tried really and these passes can be done quickly given how smooth and safe this thing is. Thus my shave times have decreased even if I am doing an extra passes. It's also far more tolerant of lapses of concentration due to sleepiness.
Part of this I surmise is that the razor is extremy precise in terms of design and manufacture q d that the design rewards good technique. You hold it at the range of angle it is designed for and it works, if you don't the blade does not contact the skin at all, so it's really hard to have too steep an angle that creates irritation. This i know has frustrated many but i think its great because it reduces my all to humqn error while promoting improvement of my technique with carrots rather than sticks (gashes, cuts, burn ec). Also it's so smooth and weighted that it promotes zero pressure and correct strokes of proper multi-pass beard reduction.
With any other blade, it works but not nearly as well and it's quite hard to get to dfs/bbs. Feather blade and feather as are for me the best matching of mild exposure, angle, agility, and sharpness.
Anyway, I love it and thats my reading of it. Ymmv of course. Thanks for all the info on the forum that informed my purchase and technique.
Ps: other best shaves I have had are with the merkur futur and feather blade set at 6 (wide open). I know, the opposite of the supposed mild feather as razor. But with good prep and zero zero pressure and very careful attention its a great irritation free Bbs shave, closer than the feather as i must admit. But I really have to pay close attention because you pay for any mistakes! Like the feather as, a futur at 6 promotes good technique. But it does so with big sharp sticks rather than sweet smooth carrots. Maybe like a staight razor does (never tried it myself). For everyday reality i prefer the feather as approach!
For that reason I took the plunge to the feather all stainless. This is in a league above all the rest I have tried. As everyone knows, build quality, material finish and even packaging is simply amazing. As it should be for the price. Most importantly its by far the best shaving razor i have used. I pooped a feather blade in it and from the first shave it was simple amazing. First, it is super super smooth. Glides on the face like its floating on air. Part of this might be the satin finish and part of it is surely the geometry. Second, the balance and handle design means you can have super accuracy and precision. Lastly, it is super sharp but so super safe/mild/low irritation. I find it effortless to shave the chin area without ever nicking myself. Where the slim on a low setting would not nick it also would not really reduce the beard effectively. While at higher settings, or the ej or futur would Reduce growth it was also very Easy to slice into the skin where my chin curves most, or wib lighter pressure skip and catch, etc. With the feather it glides, reduces with no pressure and it seems impossible to nick. On the neck, again super smooth and effective and I have never had irritation.
Now it's true that getting to dfs/ bbs takes three - four passes (wtg, xtg, atg) and a bit of blade buffing in a couple spots. But I have had trouble with those spots with every other razor as well. And blade buffing with the feather as is both easy, safe, irritation free and effective. I have never managed to blade buff with another razor without some serious burn afterwards. And it does not take substantially more passes than others I have tried really and these passes can be done quickly given how smooth and safe this thing is. Thus my shave times have decreased even if I am doing an extra passes. It's also far more tolerant of lapses of concentration due to sleepiness.
Part of this I surmise is that the razor is extremy precise in terms of design and manufacture q d that the design rewards good technique. You hold it at the range of angle it is designed for and it works, if you don't the blade does not contact the skin at all, so it's really hard to have too steep an angle that creates irritation. This i know has frustrated many but i think its great because it reduces my all to humqn error while promoting improvement of my technique with carrots rather than sticks (gashes, cuts, burn ec). Also it's so smooth and weighted that it promotes zero pressure and correct strokes of proper multi-pass beard reduction.
With any other blade, it works but not nearly as well and it's quite hard to get to dfs/bbs. Feather blade and feather as are for me the best matching of mild exposure, angle, agility, and sharpness.
Anyway, I love it and thats my reading of it. Ymmv of course. Thanks for all the info on the forum that informed my purchase and technique.
Ps: other best shaves I have had are with the merkur futur and feather blade set at 6 (wide open). I know, the opposite of the supposed mild feather as razor. But with good prep and zero zero pressure and very careful attention its a great irritation free Bbs shave, closer than the feather as i must admit. But I really have to pay close attention because you pay for any mistakes! Like the feather as, a futur at 6 promotes good technique. But it does so with big sharp sticks rather than sweet smooth carrots. Maybe like a staight razor does (never tried it myself). For everyday reality i prefer the feather as approach!
