Feather blades <$$$>

[Tume]

Thank you for all that chimed in on the cost of feather blades (100 count). I’ve also enjoyed reading how others use this and other brands of blades, number of uses per blade etc. i myself and it’s 1 and done. If I shave once a week that’s a lot. I used to keep myself clean shaven but anymore, I just don’t have the interest. Speaking of, I think I joined up here around 2011? Back then I hung out mostly in the straight razor forums. I was a big fan of keeping my razors sharpened with Belgian coticules although I also used a few Jnats and film, synthetic stones not often though I have a good selection. Last time I got out all of my straight razors I counted 77 of them. Seldom would I part with one. I have buttload of DE and SE razors too yet the one I shave with used to be referred to as the Sledgehammer. That and a feather blade is my choice of shaving tools. Someone mentioned Kai Japanese blades. I have those too but I prefer the feather over Kai. Kai seems to be a thicker blade. I like the fragile-ness of the thin feather blade and call me lazy but I only use them once. I don’t really care to invest any time cleaning and drying a disposable blade, nor have I ever left a blade in a DE razor to be used again. Sure I have once or twice but after getting cut by leaving a blade in a razor. Let’s just say it never worked for me, so I abandoned that practice. More power to those that wish to get multiple uses out if a disposable blade. I admire your frugalness

Anywho, I did a search for best price 100 count Feather de razor blade. eBay caught my eye as they are offering 100 count shipped for $29.99. I’m sure if I spent more time digging around I could find Festher blades for less yet I’ll likely pull the trigger on an eBay purchase

Again, if I wasn’t clear, I just don’t shave very often and as of late, like the feather/sledgehammer combo. Yes, there are other blades that work well in this chosen/preferred de razor yet the feather works so well for my skin/razor. I wish I had more spare time for if I did, I’d spend it caring for a few straight razor edges but for some reason I rather enjoy shaving with my sledgehammer feather combo. You fellows know how it is. Keep the faith, don’t let things get too complicated, live forever


Best,


Jake
Reddick Fla.
It’s never too late to have a happy childhood

A fresh feather or a wilkinsson sword (german) blade is my preferred choice in the sledgehammer. I like them more than any personna or astra blade.

 

[RayClem]

Hi RayClem, Curious if you've ever tried carbon steel blades such as Treet "Black Beauties". If so how does the initial sharpness compare to a Feather blade on the first shave. Realize carbon steel blades quickly corrode but could be a more economical "one or two and done" blade than Feathers. In theory carbon steel, being harder than stainless, could be honed to a really sharp edge for that first shave.

The last time I tried using a carbon steel blade was back in the mid-1960s when coated stainless steel blades were in their infancy. I was a teenager back then, just starting to shave. Because that was so long ago, I do not remember whether it was a Treet blade or a Gillette Super Blue.

According to the Refined Shave web site, the Treet Black Beauty starts out pretty dull and rapidly becomes even more dull. They are not very smooth. Since I have a coarse beard and sensitive skin, I have never considered a carbon steel DE blade. I do have carbon steel knives and straight razors. I know that they can be sharpened to high levels of sharpness and smoothness, but apparently, Treet is trying to make very inexpensive blades rather than high-quality blades. They might work for someone who has a very fine beard and skin that is not sensitive.

 

[ShavingPrimate]

According to the Refined Shave web site, the Treet Black Beauty starts out pretty dull and rapidly becomes even more dull. They are not very smooth.

IDK? I just finished last week shaving with a Treet Silver, which is a carbon steel blade.

I found it to be both sharp and smooth. As a user, there were no discernable differences that would differentiate it between a carbon steel and a stainless steel blade?

It felt a tiny bit prickly on day 7 but it did go the full week.

Most carbon steel knives are easier to sharpen than stainless steel, though they have a tendency not to retain their sharpness as long.

Figure that we have now had stainless steel razor blades for six decades now. Japanese steel is very hard and is difficult to sharpen. But Feather has been successfully manufacturing extremely sharp stainless razor blades for decades.

At this point, so has Gillette and most of the rest of the world.

Even though I could find no particular flaws with the Treet, I fail to see exactly the point in manufacturing carbon steel blades in this day and age?

I could understand if it was all about price but Dorco and other companies make quality stainless steel DE blades for six and seven cents each.

Going by that, carbon steel blades should sell for four or five cents each. Otherwise, why bother with a blade that would have a greater tendency towards rusting and thus require a greater standard of care?

I remove, clean and dry all of my blades after every shave, so the carbon steel did not effect my routine. But there are many who prefer not to bother with this practice.

 

[TheBigL]

I do not consider either Astra SP green or Feather yellow blades to be good value, but for entirely different reasons.

I do not find that Astra SP blades to be sharp enough to cut through my beard without tugging. They are quite uncomfortable for me. I purchased a 100 pack of blades and used only a couple of them. The remainder will never be used. Thus, they were a poor purchase.

Feather blades have the opposite issue. They are super sharp, but the edge tends to be quite fragile. After a couple of shaves, the blade deteriorates to the point it feels harsh on my face. Many others have had a similar experience with Feather blades. Thus, they are a poor value for me also.

Razor blades are very much as YMMV thing. If Astra SP blades are sharp enough for your beard, then they would be a good value for you. If you can use Astra SP blades without an issue, you have no need to consider Feather blades.

There are plenty of blades that are sharper than Astra SP green and less fragile and Feather Hi-Stainless. I suggest you consider purchasing a blade sampler pack and try enough different blades to learn what works best in your razors with your beard and your skin. If you have multiple razors like I do, you might find that you need several different blades for each razor to optimize your shave.

@RayClem I agree with your statement on Feather blades. The blade degrades quickly. However, the Astra Platinum have been good for me. If you have a surplus you can send them my way!

 

[RayClem]

@RayClem I agree with your statement on Feather blades. The blade degrades quickly. However, the Astra Platinum have been good for me. If you have a surplus you can send them my way!

The problem with a PIF of Astra SP blades is that you can purchase 100 of them from Amazon for $8.49 with free Prime shipping.

If I went to the Post Office to ship them to you in a flat rate envelope, the cost would be $9.65. Thus, the postage costs more than the value of the blades.

 

[Chandu]

A couple of thoughts.
1. Don't assume Amz has the lowest prices, many times they don't. They survive on the impression that they do.
2. In a thread about KCG blades, I started testing them against some others in Muhle Rocca and for me my top three are Personna Med Prep, Muhle (which are more expensive than Feather) and Feather and KCG (probably some other Gillettes are as good as KCG too, not their Wilkinson's though - not for me).

Mensroombarbershop has 200 Feathers for $65.

 

[lasta]

People are willing to pay for for things that are harder to get.

I'm living in China, here, Feathers are cheaper than GSB.

 

[TheBigL]

The problem with a PIF of Astra SP blades is that you can purchase 100 of them from Amazon for $8.49 with free Prime shipping.

If I went to the Post Office to ship them to you in a flat rate envelope, the cost would be $9.65. Thus, the postage costs more than the value of the blades.

Yeah funny how stuff like that works. We bought a guitar online for my son. It was pretty cheap. He didn't really like it but for me to ship it back for a refund, it would have cost almost half the price of the guitar.

 

[Tume]

I have to unwillingly admit that a feather blade is the only blade what I will use eventually. Sharpness is a king

 

[Juanmosey]

I have to unwillingly admit that a feather blade is the only blade what I will use eventually. Sharpness is a king

I used one today in my 1961 Tech. IMO it beat the Nacet by a whisker.