Feather AS-D2 long term survey

[kingfisher]

I sold my AS-D2 after owning it for several years and using it occasionally. I loved the razor, the way it looked, the way it felt, and the way it shaved.

So why did I sell it? I discovered that for me, an American post-war Tech on the Feather handle shaved almost EXACTLY the same as the AS-D2.

I think Feather set out to replicate the post-war Tech, and I think they did a marvellous job. Since the post-war Tech only cost me $10 at an antique store, I thought it was the better deal of the two.

In selling the AS-D2, I also no longer have the handle, but it was a little too thin for my taste anyway. One can commission people on Etsy to make a handle of any size, girth, and weight imaginable, so if I really wanted to exactly replicate the AS-D2 I could get somebody to make me a handle almost exactly like the Feather handle.


Don't get me wrong. The AS-D2 is a great razor, and it's beautiful, too. You can use it with pride. It will last forever. Not only is it stainless, but it has a protective coating of chrome over it so it will essentially never rust or wear out.

Use it and enjoy it.

 

[Zhang Doe]

Love mine. I take breaks from it but just enjoy the shave, more so than I do with many of my higher end razors. Just take care not to chase BBS, or it will bite.

 

[Trawlerman]

AS-D2 is a superb razor, but only if you get the angle spot on, and I do mean spot on.

Snip....

You will occasionally hear people bemoaning it's mildness and alleged inefficiency, but I always wonder if they're just not using the right technique.

And there's the kicker. It's all about the technique. Honestly most people here would be happy with the razor they started with if they took the time to get a proper technique in the first place.

I see lots of people bad mouthing razors and blades when it's blatantly obvious that they have no experience whatsoever in shaving.

I'm not saying that's the truth for anybody on this post but it is noticeable in general.


FWIW the Feather AS-D2 is a great razor and is very intuitive. It will tell you when it's off because it stops singing when it's not cutting.



Sent from my SM-A750FN using Tapatalk

 

[Avi]

And there's the kicker. It's all about the technique. Honestly most people here would be happy with the razor they started with if they took the time to get a proper technique in the first place.

I see lots of people bad mouthing razors and blades when it's blatantly obvious that they have no experience whatsoever in shaving.

I'm not saying that's the truth for anybody on this post but it is noticeable in general.


FWIW the Feather AS-D2 is a great razor and is very intuitive. It will tell you when it's off because it stops singing when it's not cutting.



Sent from my SM-A750FN using Tapatalk

Question around this. As I am bit new to this. I've been using the silent bathroom / listening idea with the ASD2 as it does seem to provide that audible feedback but I noticed I ended up being a bit "sore" with these passes. What I've been doing over the last few days is instead taking the "shallow" approach that people talk about and just feel my skin after the pass. What is weird is in this mode I actually get no audio feedback but everything magically disappears at least well as the "audio feedback route" (and potentially even better) and there is absolutely no soreness.

What I think is going on is what feels like audio feedback is actually slight tugging which is leading to the soreness.

In contrast a sharp blade / potentially being pretty shallow is just doing the magic silently but just as well (and clearly not ludicrously shallow).

That latter feels a bit counter intuitive to me (and potentially not even right) but perhaps more succinctly how can you tell the difference btwn audio feedback and minor tugging and is there a weird "silent" mode with this razor or am I just making things up?

(to be honest this is the first mode/approach where I can confidently say this is better than a fusion 5)

Avi

 

[Whilliam]

Question around this. As I am bit new to this. I've been using the silent bathroom / listening idea as it does seem to provide that audible feedback but I noticed I ended up being a bit "sore" with these passes. What I've been doing over the last few days is instead taking the "shallow" approach that people talk about and just feel my skin after the pass. What is weird is in this mode I actually get no audio feedback but everything magically disappears at least well as the "audio feedback route" (and potentially even better) and there is absolutely no soreness.

What I think is going on is what feels like audio feedback is actually slight tugging which is leading to the soreness.

In contrast a sharp blade / potentially being pretty shallow is just doing the magic silently but just as well (and clearly not ludicrously shallow).

That latter feels a bit counter intuitive to me (and potentially not even right) but perhaps more succinctly how can you tell the difference btwn audio feedback and minor tugging and is there a weird "silent" mode with this razor or am I just making things up?

(to be honest this is the first mode/approach where I can confidently say this is better than a fusion 5)

Avi

Not to be cute, but the song of the steel is something you both hear and feel. The feedback you get should sound and feel like drawing your finger lightly against the grain of dry, day-old stubble.

You might try drawing your razor, again lightly, against the grain without a blade. That, to me, is the feedback most like an irritation-free, efficient shave.

Now, I tend to use a bit of pressure, which I don't recommend anyone just starting out. Until you master the feel of your razor, pressure will only gain you irritation. Even then, pressure is a matter of personal preference.

If you still feel tugging, you might want to try some different blades. They can make a difference, though I've found my Feather not too particular about blades. Still, it's worth a try.

I hope I've not been to cryptic and confusing here, and that some of my comments prove beneficial. Remember, also, this all assumes you're working with some decent lather.

The only other thing I might add is, don't overthink the whole process. Relax and let the razor do the work; you'll find your groove soon enough.

 

[kingfisher]

Question around this. As I am bit new to this. I've been using the silent bathroom / listening idea with the ASD2 as it does seem to provide that audible feedback but I noticed I ended up being a bit "sore" with these passes. What I've been doing over the last few days is instead taking the "shallow" approach that people talk about and just feel my skin after the pass. What is weird is in this mode I actually get no audio feedback but everything magically disappears at least well as the "audio feedback route" (and potentially even better) and there is absolutely no soreness.

What I think is going on is what feels like audio feedback is actually slight tugging which is leading to the soreness.

In contrast a sharp blade / potentially being pretty shallow is just doing the magic silently but just as well (and clearly not ludicrously shallow).

That latter feels a bit counter intuitive to me (and potentially not even right) but perhaps more succinctly how can you tell the difference btwn audio feedback and minor tugging and is there a weird "silent" mode with this razor or am I just making things up?

(to be honest this is the first mode/approach where I can confidently say this is better than a fusion 5)

Avi

The latter approach is clearly better for you, because the end result of the shave is better, and that is all that really matters when all is said and done.

 

[Avi]

Not to be cute, but the song of the steel is something you both hear and feel. The feedback you get should sound and feel like drawing your finger lightly against the grain of dry, day-old stubble.

You might try drawing your razor, again lightly, against the grain without a blade. That, to me, is the feedback most like an irritation-free, efficient shave.

Now, I tend to use a bit of pressure, which I don't recommend anyone just starting out. Until you master the feel of your razor, pressure will only gain you irritation. Even then, pressure is a matter of personal preference.

If you still feel tugging, you might want to try some different blades. They can make a difference, though I've found my Feather not too particular about blades. Still, it's worth a try.

I hope I've not been to cryptic and confusing here, and that some of my comments prove beneficial. Remember, also, this all assumes you're working with some decent lather.

The only other thing I might add is, don't overthink the whole process. Relax and let the razor do the work; you'll find your groove soon enough.

hmm thanks that is super helpful and in fact that is exactly the noise I was aiming for initially. What I am doing is going shallower than that so that noise disappears. Is this actually a thing? I hope the answer isn’t yes it is, it’s called imaginary shaving, you are rubbing the cap against your face and calling it a day! I do seem a bit less sensitive to the astras in the as d2 ( with audio feedback, though if someone argued it’s an accident of random and inconsistent techniques, that might also be true ). That said aforementioned no noise shallow ( 2 pass ) technique feels like a day of stubble disappears somehow and super crazy smoothly ?

regards
avi
,

 

[Chandu]

In selling the AS-D2, I also no longer have the handle, but it was a little too thin for my taste anyway.

Funny how we are all different. I think the AS-D2 nails the handle. For diameter, length an knurling.

 

[Tomo]

The AS-D2 is a nice looking, well balanced and nimble razor. I had one for a while but ultimately decided that it was not for me. I started out thinking that I enjoyed mild razors more but as my technique improved I started to appreciate a bit of blade feel. In the end the Feather was too mild for me. It just took too many passes to get a close shave. If you like very mild razors it is a good choice.