Feather blades are overhyped!

[Assassin]

Give me a break! They'll tear up your face?! Really? I just used some today with my Merkur 34C HD for the first time and even though they are pretty good, they're not that sharp! It's not like I'm taking a sword to face. These blades are way overhyped and this is a bad thing, because it'll scare newbies away from not trying these.

They're really gentle. Not rough at all, no nicks or cuts. They perform pretty good. I don't where people get the idea that they're as sharp as surgical steel blades or that they'll slice your throat wide open if you make a mistake.

If you haven't tried them, do so. They're not bad at all and they won't cut you. Don't be afraid, they're just blades! They're expensive, but I'm sure there are others that perform the same.

P.S. If these are the sharpest blades around, than I guess I've seen it all.

 

[Go West Young Man]

Never judge a blade based on one shave!

I get one great shave from a Feather, then accumulated irritation catches up and the subsequent shaves (same blade or a new one, doesn't matter) leave me in great pain.

 

[dfwde]

I jsut tried these after de shaving for month they've given me the best shave so far. I agree that people make them sound scary when they nick me no more than any other. I believe I may have cut my self the first time and that was it. Great blades none the less.

 

[Assassin]

Perhaps...but, still I can tell I won't have any future problems unless I don't shower and then shave. If I don't shower, then I might have complications with the blade.

Astra, Derby, Personna Reds and Crystals are all in line next. On to the next blade!

 

[rajagra]

I don't where people get the idea that they're as sharp as surgical steel blades

You mean like razor sharp or something?

I don't have enough experience to comment on the differences between DE blades, but one thing I'd demand of all of them is sharpness.

I think the main differences lie in other attributes. Microscopic straightness. Smoothness. Coatings. Number and angles of bevels. That sort of thing.

 

[El Judio Bravo]

My basic rule: Beware of hyperbole.

If I'm sooo curious, I'll personally check it out. My first DE shave was with my Feather Popular and the blade supplied with it. I'd read all about them and was oh-so-careful that day. I liked it.

I went on to try lots of other brands after that. But I recently bought a sampler with more Feathers and some Kais for comparison's sake. Eventually they'll come up in the rotation and I can see for myself what they're really like with hundreds of shaves under my belt. "Fear" is not part of it; I'll say that much.

 

[BGG]

I used a Feather for the first time today and was pleasantly surprised, i too thought it was gonna cut my face off after reading the hype

Superb shave, way better than those fecking awful Derby blades I foolishly tried again this week I found the Feather maybe a bit sharper than the Israeli's I'd been using and really like, great shave and no irritation.
So i'm happy now, 20 Feathers and 40 Israeli's to work through, should last me for a bit

 

[Assassin]

Sharp enough to slice your throat wide open....I mean come on, they're just blades! Are people stupid enough to actually use them dangerously if that's how they describe them?

Here I thought I was going to get razor burn, skin irratations, blah, blah, blah...They're not as bad as people perceive them. No joke! Not unless the Feathers I got are fakes. Which I highly doubt, since they came from a reputable shaving source.

 

[Assassin]

Haha, I guess I'm not alone. I really think the reviews need to be posted all over again and the original thread should be deleted.

These blades are not that bad. I could use them with my bare hands and they won't even cut me. lol

 

[Dandaman]

Never judge a blade based on one shave!

+1. While I've seen a few other blades come close, possibly (?) equal Feather on occasion, IMO they take the crown for overall sharpest. As to suitablity to task, that depends on YOUR face, your technique, etc. I finally started getting nice results in a Fatboy, but I've got to be on my toes. It's awfully easy for me to lapse for a moment, and end up with at least irritation. So I doubt Feather will ever be my go to blade. So as I see it, they're mostly hyped as very very sharp. And IMHO, it's deserved.

 

[Go West Young Man]

I don't think anyone tells newbs not to use Feathers. The advice given is that of all blades, Feathers are the least forgiving of technique errors and newbs might be better off working out some of the early kinks on more forgiving blades.

 

[luvmysuper]

Haha, I guess I'm not alone. I really think the reviews need to be posted all over again and the original thread should be deleted.

These blades are not that bad. I could use them with my bare hands and they won't even cut me. lol

Come on now, hyperbole is as bad one way as it is another.
Blades are certainly one thing where your mileage may vary, probably more so than any other part of the routine.

We get it, you don't think they are that big a deal, and truthfully, I don't either, but they certainly are not bad blades and there are lots of folks who love them no end.

Feather do have an accumulative effect, and several shaves with them can feel subsequently harsher and harsher.

At least now you have eliminated these as a favorite and can move on to another brand in your quest for the perfect blade!

Good Luck!

 

[Assassin]

I never said I hated them nor did I say I want to stop using them. What I said was that they're not as sharp as everyone cliams they are. Hence, "overhyped". I don't want to stop and just use feathers forever, what will I do with the other blades I got? What if they turn out better? You know?

Thanks for the reply though.

 

[Assassin]

Plenty of experienced shavers recomend newbies to stay away from Feathers, because of their "surgical sharpness" and lack of forgivness. I, myself find them forgiving and gentle. And, I just tried these...I can't even hold the razor right on the account of my write being broken. lol

 

[Pkrankow]

I tried a Feather, and liked it. I then used another and was not as happy with it, but didn't hate it. I am considering ordering some more. I used my "go to" blade, local generic grocery store (made in usa) blades, and I am stuck. I like the generic blade better, even though it has noticably more drag than the Feather.

Don't fear the Feather.

Phil

 

[lungho]

Mileage most definitely varies. I get a spectacular first shave from a Feather. After that, I get less close of a shave with more nicks than normal. But that's just me.

 

[The Nid Hog]

Haha, I guess I'm not alone. I really think the reviews need to be posted all over again and the original thread should be deleted.

These blades are not that bad. I could use them with my bare hands and they won't even cut me. lol

I've posted this before but, in Japan, just about every DE shaver uses Feathers. The fearful scrapers, the journeymen, the artists. Barbers too. Everybody. There's no national program to import Derbys for beginners or anything like that.Everybody shaves with them when they feel the urge for a shave. They're just blades. And they do a darned good job. They're not exactly the same as other blades and they're not entirely different. My suspicion is that a lot of the differences that people detect in their introductory samplers are a result of their rapidly changing skills, not the blades themselves. Not to say that some blades aren't dogs. There are some. But Feathers are nothing magical or fearful. And, like every other blade, they're sharp and can be unforgiving if you are careless or inattentive.

 

[nijabhaava]

I tried a feather (albeit for just one shave - head as well).

It was definitely sharper than the derbys I was using, or the astra or shark I used after. But not as smooth. I like the shark so far the best, but haven't used it more than once yet.

 

[LouieGrandie]

P.S. If these are the sharpest blades around, than I guess I've seen it all.

Here is an interesting thread with photos on why Feathers are extremely sharp. Feather photos

 

[Monkeyboy]

Blades are perceived very differently by different people. On the whole it's agreed that feathers are the sharpest blades out there and can be dangerous in inexperienced hands.

I can personally attest to their deadliness. I was shaving with one once and went on autopilot with the shave dropping my concentration. I sliced a tiny bit of flesh off the center of my chin. Not just a nick, it went through skin with no resistance.

Before you judge them as tame blades try one in a slant or a vision opened up all the way!