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Feather F3 Shaving Razor

Just curious if anyone has any experience with Feather brand carts. I've only been able to find a little bit of info on them in the forums, but no direct feedback. Some limited reviews online, but I value B&B member input over Amaz0n reviews.

The handle looks like a beast with a build in suspension. Looks a bit overkill, but the manufacturer’s explanation is that it’s for preventing too much pressure being applied, which sounds good in theory, but one review I found mentioned that due to this suspension, it made it hard to gauge just how much pressure was actually being applied and in turn caused the user to use even more force, which sounds counterproductive.

But if anyone has any general shave impressions. How does it cut? How does the post shave feel? Blade longevity? Any input would be much appreciated.

Being made by the famous Feather brand, it has peaked my interest (though I'm personally not a huge fan of their DE blades).

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I live in Japan and compared to Gillette and Schick they're a lot cheaper. Just under 10 us dollars for a pack of 8 carts.

I typically use a mach3 (when I use carts) and have been happy with them, but they are about double price over here.
 
@Sabre How do you find the shaves with the F3? Compared to say a mach 3. So far I find the mach 3 or sensor excel to be my fav carts. I tried the fusion, but didn't really like it very much. Felt like it was too much compared to the mach 3.
 
I agree. that't one of the main reasons I got into DE as well. :)

I still use carts on my neck because I get a more comfortable result going ATG on my neck with them, still (working on my technique to see if I can get that with a DE eventually...) I have a few sensors and mach 3s left, but when they run out, I'm looking for a more reasonably priced option for carts, and was interested in the feather cartridge razor.
 
Are the Feather MR3 Neo razors still available in Japan? If they are, you should give them a try, i think it's one of the best cartridge razors out there.
 
Are the Feather MR3 Neo razors still available in Japan? If they are, you should give them a try, i think it's one of the best cartridge razors out there.

I'll check these out. Looking at Amazon Japan, it looks like these are still available, and the cartridges are slightly cheaper than the F3 carts. I had often seen the F3 (called "samrai-edge" over here) in the local drug stores, but not the MR3 Neos, so I hadn't noticed them. Glancing through the reviews, I do see a quite a few saying that they prefer the MR3 over the F3.

Thanks for the heads-up!
 
Are the Feather MR3 Neo razors still available in Japan? If they are, you should give them a try, i think it's one of the best cartridge razors out there.

Agreed, one fine razor. For the US the replacement carts are now way too painfully expensive. US-based vendors don't seem to have them, and Connaught seems to be restricted from selling outside the UK. That leaves importing from Japan at about $3 per blade, when Connaught would have been less than half of that if I could buy them. :mad5:
 
That leaves importing from Japan at about $3 per blade

That is a bit pricey. For that price, I'd happily go for the mach3s.

I've heard enough positive input about these razors, so I'll definitely be giving them a try. Unfortunately, I've joined the sabbatical for this year, but will give them a try in a few months as soon as the sabbatical ends. As for cartridges, I have plenty of stock of my mach3 and sensors, but I am very curious to try the Feather carts as soon as I get a chance.

Thanks for all your input!!
 
@Sabre How do you find the shaves with the F3? Compared to say a mach 3. So far I find the mach 3 or sensor excel to be my fav carts. I tried the fusion, but didn't really like it very much. Felt like it was too much compared to the mach 3.

I agree with your Fusion/Mach 3 comparison. I'd like to give the F3 a trial run.
Ron
 
I agree with your Fusion/Mach 3 comparison. I'd like to give the F3 a trial run.

Thank you for the input Ron! I'll definitely give it a try. Since it looks like all the feather carts work with any of their handles, I'll just pick a handle or two, and then an assortment of the cartridges and find out which one works the best for me.

Not sure if the FIIs are worth trying (but I like the slimmer handle of that razor). Will try the F3 and MR3 Neo cartridges for sure.
 
I just received a Feather F3 today. I just used it for the first time and was very impressed. It gave a shave comparable to a Mach 3 but I prefer the F3’s handle. I also have a MR3 Neo on the way as well. I’m interested to see how the F3 carts compare to the MR3 Neo carts.
 
The F3 looks like the Feather Samrai. Not Samurai, but Samrai. I like the MR3 Neo handle better. If the F3 blades are the same as the Samrai, I found the blades to be about equal, as well as interchangeable. I prefer the Samrai as they don't have the rollers on the bottom like the Neo's. They interfere if trying to listen to your shave. Either one gets me two weeks of decent shaves. Better and cheaper than the Mach 3's.
 
I just received a Feather F3 today. I just used it for the first time and was very impressed.
Thanks for the update! Would be interested to hear how the MR3 blades compare to the F3s once you get them.

The F3 looks like the Feather Samrai. Not Samurai, but Samrai.
I think you're right about the Samrai = F3. The full name for this razor in Japan is the Samrai Edge. I believe this was the preferred razor among the samurai of the Edo period... :letterk1: I kid... I'm sure they just used their swords.
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I wasn't quite sure about the wider handles, and am a bit interested in the FII handle which is slimmer, but the handles are relatively inexpensive, so I'll give both a try. It seems all of their cartridges are compatible with any handle, so I'll just try to experiment and find the combo that feels best.

And with the generally positive feedback I'm seeing, it seems like they are all worth trying to see which one works best for me.
 
I tried the MR3 Neo handle tonight. However I tried it with a F3 cartridge. I have to say, with the F3 cartridge I prefer the F3 handle. The MR3 Neo handle is a lot more aggressive when using the F3 cart compared to the F3 handle. However I have yet to try the MR Neo cart. I will try it out next week and see which handle I prefer with it. I will add the MR 3 Neo handle is a very well made handle. I am new to Feather products and am very impressed with their craftsmanship.
 
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Thanks for the update! Your assessment makes sense to me. Reading up on the damper that is built into the F3 handle, it is supposed to regulate the pressure of the blades against your skin, so that would explain why it might feel smoother. Although I've read some people say they don't like the dampened feedback, and they end up pushing even more.

Looking forward to your feedback on the MR3 Neo carts.
 
The F3 / Samrai razor handle’s head motion is honestly very similar to Schick’s Hydro Sense handle, but I prefer the F3 as it’s movement is not as tight.
 
I plan on trying the MR3 Neo cart over the weekend. I’m wondering if the roller on the cartridge will help the calm the aggressiveness of the MR3 Neo that I felt when using the handle with the F3 cartridge. Granted I liked the MR3 Neo handle but it was more aggressive than the F3 handle at least when using an F3 cartridge.
 
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