I agree, but not everyone finds the same thing.
I'll use cheaper blades that are ok. But Feather blades are nice.
Feather Blades: Hype and Longevity
- Thread starter TheVez2
- Start date
I agree, but not everyone finds the same thing.
I'll use cheaper blades that are ok. But Feather blades are nice.
I think it all comes down to the razor you use. They are great in my Aristocrat #16, not so great in other razors.
Feathers are a one and done shave for me. So I won't pay for them. Granted, its a heck of a close shave, but not worth it.
I get 4-6 shaves with a Lab blue, and they cost 1/3 of a feather. No-Brainer.
This is why many many blades are madeWe all have our preferences!
Agreed. I get two shaves off a Feather in all but the R41, which is good for one multi-pass shave. I still love the quality of the shave so it's worth it for me if I can get them for a bargain. Med Preps will get me about four in most razors and really quite sharp as well.
I guess I have a mild beard, or a tough skin. I routinely got 12 shaves out of a feather in my EJ DE89, and I have never had a nick with them (knock on wood).
I wish I could get that longevity out of any blade! Maybe as my technique improves I'll learn to adjust to degradation. Turtle is rumoured to have gotten unbelievable use out of DE blades (100 shaves or so, IIRC), so perhaps there's hope!
Well, I think that other than the challenge, longevity of any DE blade including the most "expensive" is not worth a headache.
However, prep may be the key.
While my prep is absolute sub-standard and I only use cold water for everything, before shaving I normally take a shower, then, then splash some water in my face right before drying my hair, splash again some water on my stubbly face before brushing my teeth, then quickly lather up and shave. So my stubbles have plenty of time to absorb moisture and soften. Like this, I usually get 4 to 5 shaves out of any blade, but I never toss a blade before noticing that it is done (and then change to another razor during the shave), and indeed, there are quite a few blades of just about any brand that go up to 7 shaves and in some cases even more, seldom much more. But then, when I omit my showering circus before shaving and only lather up, most blades are shot after two shaves or even less. The reason I like to shower before shaving is not extending blade life, but rather a more enjoyable and much quicker shave. FWIW, I consider the toughness of my beard in the "upper middle" range.
Paying $25USD for 100 Feathers puts me in the 'I couldn't be bothered' category.
I find they have a slight edge on smoothness over a Med Prep and also great quality control.I have a very dense beard with fast growth, so I need to do an über prep to get no irritation for a multi-pass shave. During the days of carts or electric I simply didn't go for DFS/BBS because I couldn't easily do so without irritation. For years before DE shaving I did use quality shaving soap and boar brushes, but the shaving tool itself was the final missing link...
For my sake, I've found that my beard must be super clean before it's able to hydrate well. I shave in the shower and prep is as follows:
Rinse everything well
Wash hair
Scrub beard well with high quality soap, rinse and repeat
Shower as normal
Scrub beard once again lightly and rinse face to further hydrate for about a minute
Apply yoghourt-style cream from bowl with badger for about 90 seconds to further exfoliate and hydrate, then shave...
Despite the super-hydration I tend to wear out blades quickly. If I were shooting for CCS or had a different beard, then I'm sure they would last quite a bit longer, but such is life
I guess you give your stubbles way too much time to get frightened to death which is why they will put up even more resistance...
Try to fool them by a different prep each day and shave FAST!
+1 Let me tell you about my character...
But what impresses me more is the fact you're using a d20 to track your shaves. Very nice! I'm a D&D/Pathfinder man myself, starting back with 2nd Edition. If you're a fellow gamer, that makes me feel less lonely here.
I started out scared. With my tremors, I was much more likely to cut myself with a Feather. Sharpness or increased tremors, who knows. 
I left them alone and went on to explore lots of different blades, and there are so-o-o-o many good blades out there…but shortly after going exclusively OC, I found I liked the Feather best in my mild iKon OC, and my aggressive Fatip. I still switch around, ut Feathers are my favorites. And with any blade I switch after two shaves.
I left them alone and went on to explore lots of different blades, and there are so-o-o-o many good blades out there…but shortly after going exclusively OC, I found I liked the Feather best in my mild iKon OC, and my aggressive Fatip. I still switch around, ut Feathers are my favorites. And with any blade I switch after two shaves.
I have three favorite blades- Feather, GSB, and PolSilver SI. They all perform well in my two favorite razors, an ATT Atlas M1 and a Merkur Progress. I toss all blades after three shaves.
Feathers are best of the best.
Any blade worth their salt (Feathers included) will last me for one week of shaves. One shave if I shave weekly. Seven shaves if I shave daily.
Thanks,
Mike
Any blade worth their salt (Feathers included) will last me for one week of shaves. One shave if I shave weekly. Seven shaves if I shave daily.
Thanks,
Mike
IMightBeWrong
Loves a smelly brush
It's been about a year since I started wet shaving and since then I have tried a number of blades. Astra, Derby, Super Iridium, Personna Red and Blue, and Feather. The first shave I got from a Feather was absolute perfection. After that I started to find it too aggressive. I found my favorites to be Astras in the beginning and later PolSilver SI. I gave Feather another try later on, though, and I have come to the conclusion that improper technique is the only way a Feather can be aggressive. It is by far the best shaving blade I have used. Both types of Personna blade tear my face up in comparison. PolSilvers are the closest in comfort I have found to Feathers. Once you have the technique down, Feathers are amazing. My skin loves them and I get fewer nicks with them than any other blade.
My only area of disagreement is in how long you use them. I wouldn't use ANY blade more than a week. I do agree, though, that the longevity is not as bad as people make it out to be. I get about 5 or 6 shaves out of a blade personally.
For anybody with a bad experience with Feathers, I really urge you to get back to them and go through a whole pack before going back to your old blades of choice. Feathers will really help your technique and make a shave with any blade about as good as it can be. I really do believe that only improper pressure and angle will make a Feather aggressive, and once you find the right pressure and angle with a Feather I don't think you'll ever want to leave the blades again.
My only area of disagreement is in how long you use them. I wouldn't use ANY blade more than a week. I do agree, though, that the longevity is not as bad as people make it out to be. I get about 5 or 6 shaves out of a blade personally.
For anybody with a bad experience with Feathers, I really urge you to get back to them and go through a whole pack before going back to your old blades of choice. Feathers will really help your technique and make a shave with any blade about as good as it can be. I really do believe that only improper pressure and angle will make a Feather aggressive, and once you find the right pressure and angle with a Feather I don't think you'll ever want to leave the blades again.
I guess you give your stubbles way too much time to get frightened to death which is why they will put up even more resistance...
Try to fool them by a different prep each day and shave FAST!
- Thread starter
- #35
And I won't use any blade less than a week. I don't usually keep track, but my average is around 2 weeks for any blade. I don't pitch blades on any certain schedule, I use them until they no longer give me good shaves.
OldSaw
The wife's investment
I'm glad they're working for you.
I have also found that there is sometimes a shave in the first week of use where it is sub par. However, after that it really levels off and the second week of shaves are very smooth.
I have gone as long as a month with one Feather blade. I posted about it on here somewhere. I don't recommend it on a regular basis, but even after 2 dozen shaves it was working better than many others that I have tried.
I started the 2013 Sabbatical with somewhere around 40 blades (maybe as many as 50, can't remember exactly) and I still have a couple of unopened packs. I have been changing them every other Saturday.
Over the past few months I have been skipping a few days here and there, due to a job change that keeps me on the road as a truck driver. So my careful metering of blade usage will now easily see me through the rest of the year and then some with the decreased number of shaves.
Feathers were my first blades and the ones I use the most as they are readily available here.
I've mentioned it before but for me, no blade beats a Day 1 and 2 on a Feather. From day 3 onwards, for me, is just like using a Derby blade. And I do not like Derby blades
They have this crazy reputation of being face slicers. I say with proper technique they are as easy to use as any blade. Maybe if you have skin issues and you're getting into wet shaving, baby step it a little.
I've mentioned it before but for me, no blade beats a Day 1 and 2 on a Feather. From day 3 onwards, for me, is just like using a Derby blade. And I do not like Derby blades
They have this crazy reputation of being face slicers. I say with proper technique they are as easy to use as any blade. Maybe if you have skin issues and you're getting into wet shaving, baby step it a little.
When I was starting out (I have essential tremors), I found a twitch of my hand that caused a weeper with another blade, say Lab Blue or Gillette Yellow, this same type twitch would draw a lot of blood with a Feather. But between improving my technique...and overall improved health...my tremors have also diminished, so I don't have many problems with a Feather. And it is my favorite blade.
Feathers were my first blades and the ones I use the most as they are readily available here.
I've mentioned it before but for me, no blade beats a Day 1 and 2 on a Feather. From day 3 onwards, for me, is just like using a Derby blade. And I do not like Derby blades
They have this crazy reputation of being face slicers. I say with proper technique they are as easy to use as any blade. Maybe if you have skin issues and you're getting into wet shaving, baby step it a little.
I remember reading about that in a thread. Glad to hear that you've overcome it and improved your health overall!
Feathers and Astra SPs are my favs.
This is what I think it comes down to. Feather blades have great QC, as do many of the NOS blades that give great shaves.Paying $25USD for 100 Feathers puts me in the 'I couldn't be bothered' category.
