Was thinking of ordering a few of these off connaught for my valet but was wondering what you guys think of them? Im assuming they're quite an aggressive blade being feathers. Am i correct?
Feather spineless
- Thread starter leighroy
- Start date
They're very sharp, but don't last very long. At least that's been my experience.
- Thread starter
- #3
How many shaves do you get on average? I know YMMV and all that but im just curious.
Three or so, and I have at best a medium coarse beard plus a Van Dyke.
I think these are the same as the ones i got for my Valet, sharp but as already said they don't last long for the price. There is a thread in SE section that mentions taking the spines of regular GEM blades and using those ... sharp, last well and cheap.
The spine comes of very easily with pliers and a little gentle bend ... watch the fingers ... safety first.
The spine comes of very easily with pliers and a little gentle bend ... watch the fingers ... safety first.
- Thread starter
- #6
Thats not too bad then considering i dont have very course stubble, i think i may very well go through with my order 
- Thread starter
- #7
Already tried it, the model i have has the little spiky things that stops the average se blade from sitting the head.
oh well never mind it was worth a try ... still a very fine razor and they are good blades.
- Thread starter
- #9
I think it would kill me to know that i have a valet that i worked quite hard on cleaning up and not got to use it lol.
Exactly two comfortable shaves for me. The 3rd shave they pull quite badly. Not very cost effective considering two shaves per blade, and they are nearly $1 per blade!!
.50 cents per shave puts them in the same territory as the most expensive of Gillette's cartridges. lol.
Same sort of costing for me but I figure it's either pay up or don't use the razor at all and on that basis I can use it just for SE Sunday and not have the cost be a factor.
They are expensive, but for me they shave better than the GEMs. I like a lot of variety, so even though I LOVE my SE razors, I don't shave with them every day, so the cost isn't prohibitive. I shave with them three times, and I've got a serious steel wool beard. I typically use DE blades twice and trash them, just because they're cheap and I don't like pushing them as far as they'll go.
Also, just another note, the SE Feathers don't seem anything like the DE Feathers at all to me. I was a little concerned about that because the DE Feathers are a little too sharp and unforgiving for my taste, but the SEs seem just right.
I've used these blades in a Valet Model C, and in a GEM 1912. I was afraid that they wouldn't sit securely in the 1912 with no spine, so I went really slow at first to try it out, but they stayed in place ok. I think that you could probably use them in the newer Valet's as well with a little tweeking with a Dremel grinder, (the pattern doesn't quite match the tabs in the razors designed for the Valet blades with "Valet" punched out), but I haven't tried it yet.
To each his own, but IMHO, as we say, they're worth the money.
Also, just another note, the SE Feathers don't seem anything like the DE Feathers at all to me. I was a little concerned about that because the DE Feathers are a little too sharp and unforgiving for my taste, but the SEs seem just right.
I've used these blades in a Valet Model C, and in a GEM 1912. I was afraid that they wouldn't sit securely in the 1912 with no spine, so I went really slow at first to try it out, but they stayed in place ok. I think that you could probably use them in the newer Valet's as well with a little tweeking with a Dremel grinder, (the pattern doesn't quite match the tabs in the razors designed for the Valet blades with "Valet" punched out), but I haven't tried it yet.
To each his own, but IMHO, as we say, they're worth the money.
- Thread starter
- #13
thanks for advice guys
They fit in all of my Valet's without any modifications.
You got me curious Hoosier Trooper, and I just learned something when I went back to try again to see if I'd just been in too much of a hurry. I've collected a handful of Valets over the past couple of months when I saw them at a good price. Anyway, I had no idea how many different patterns there were on the little tabs that fit into the Valet cutout. I had what I thought were several duplicates that are apparently different models. Same general design, same type of blade holders, but slightly different tab patterns. I was testing the fit with a dull Feather, and got to one that I was having a little trouble with and I managed to send the blade pingng off into the great unknown in my garage. So....to be continued when I either find the lost blade or wear another one out, but I just thought I'd tell you that you taught me something new!
Ray, I have one Valet that a Feather will fit in one way, but if I take it out and flip it over it won't fit. In all of the others the blade fits either way. I got a good chuckle thinking of that blade whizzing around your garage, it may be stuck in a wall!
Yeah, I didn't hear the dog yelp, and I think I heard it hit concrete, so I'll probably find it on the floor eventually!
