Feather vs. Red Pack IP - No Contest!!

[ShavenMaven]

For the past five days, I've been shaving very comfortably with one Feather blade. I'm sure that the blade could have gone at least a further day or two of use.

But, since I had on hand several different brands of blades, I decided to try one of the Red Pack IPs.

Bad move. The Feather glided through my stubble almost soundlessly for five days. This morning, the moment I started moving the Red Pack IP against my right cheek, it was no contest. The blade pulled and the difference in SOUND was amazing. I said to myself, "this has to be a bad blade". I discarded the new Red Pack IP blade which I had just dragged across my right cheek and switched to another new Red Pack IP blade. The result was identical.

I'm not going to bother re-shaving today. Suffice it to say that, after shaving several days with the Feather, switching to the Red Pack IP is akin to ..... switching to the knife which slashed through the shower curtain in "Psycho".

 

[raisindot]

I have had the opposite reaction.

While the Feathers feel wonderful, they carve up my face like a turkey at Thanksgiving, no matter which razor I use.

While the Red Personnas are not as sharp or "smooth" as the Feathers, they get the same BBS result without the blood and irritation.

To each his own, I guess.

Jeff in Boston

 

[MoJoe]

I use both blades a lot. When I use the Feathers I tend not to experiement. They tend, at least for me, to be very aggressive and if everythings not right can irritate. The IP's are not nearly as aggressive and because the will not cause irritation as easily I find that it's better to experiment with new things while using them. Still, I can get a great shave with the IP, love the cost/shave quotent and like being able to relax a bit more when using them versus the Feathers where I have to be more careful. So for me, it's a matter of purpose and taste.

 

[ShavenMaven]

Before I started using the Feather blade, I had read all the BandB comments on sharpness. I agree that the Feather is not something to play around with.

At one point in my evaluations of blades, I speculated that blade dimension had something to do with the issue. I measured several different brands from cutting edge to cutting edge using a digital micrometer. As it turns out, the Feather measured 22.00mm while the Red Pack IP was the smallest, measuring 21.81mm. So, for what it's worth, that might explain why the IP is less likely to nick. However, the two IP blades that I used this morning sure felt like a "drag" compared to the five day old Feather I had just discarded.

All of my other shaving conditions this morning were unchanged.

 

[LittleJon]

I got a great shave with a Feather but they didn't last me past 3 shaves each.
Red IP while not as sharp give me very good results, and last around 5 shaves each.
(I don't have a heavy beard) YMMV.

 

[Pike]

I use a feather in every razor...love them!!! never had so much as a nic. the IPs are good...no doubt...but i'll take the feather every time.

 

[s1mp13m4n]

I am a redbox IP guy. They are more gentle on my sensitive skin. That is what makes this such a great hobby...the variety and many ways to get a great shave.

 

[pauls51]

I like the IP's as an everyday blade and they tend to outlast the Feathers although they don't give me a close shave like the feathers

I tend to use my Feather blade once a week; on the Sunday night, which allows for my Friday, Saturday & Sunday growth. The Feather cuts smoothly and closely without any nics, however i can't use it on a daily basis as my skin doesn't appear to like it!

 

[mansquatch]

I have been working my way through a sample pack from Westcoastshaving and the blade I have enjoyed most is the IP. So much so that I just ordered a hundred pack.

I feel like I am getting pretty proficient with a D/E at this point so last week I thought I'd drop a feather in the to see what all the hype was about. Chewed me up like it hated me on a personal level and I had more nicks and weepers than I had on my first D/E shave!

The Feathers may be sharper, but for me more irritating. Though, I will probably visit them again in a couple of months and see if it is a different story.

 

[Sodapopjones]

I honestly get the most consistent shaves out of the Red Packs, so much so I compare everything I try to them.

Yes theres sharper, more expensive blah blah but for everyday use they get the job done just fine.

 

[ShavenMaven]

Since I also have a 10-pack of Iridium Supers, I decided to try one of them while the Feather and IP were still fresh in my mind. For my beard, the Iridium Super (after one shave) proved to be superior to the IP, but not nearly as good as the Feather.

It's really interesting that I can immediately tell how a blade is performing by the sound it makes across my face and also the degree of drag. I'm now understanding more about terms such as "smooth". But the "sound" of the blade is very telling after I've washed off the shave soap.

By the way, I would rate my beard as mild and my skin sensitive. No nicks, no cuts, no in-grown hair issues, no bumps, no weepers. When I shave, I don't allow any distractions. It's my private time away from the wife and the dog.

 

[my19]

I haven't had the nerve to try a Feather yet. The Red IP is my go-to blade. But I know what you mean about the aural feedback from the RIP. Man, on a third pass it sounds like I just started on a three-day growth. But when I rinse off, I have a DFS.

For a while, I alternated the Red IP with Astra Platinums. The Reds won big time.

I suspect I still need to refine my technique more to brave a Feather, though.

 

[DJSneak]

I am a redbox IP guy. They are more gentle on my sensitive skin. That is what makes this such a great hobby...the variety and many ways to get a great shave.

I think this is one of the things that blows me away about DE wetshaving. It's incredible that one brand can have vastly different results amongst a large group of people.

I'm looking forward to my experiments with my new sample pack. Thanks for sharing!

 

[grampi]

I haven't been able to get a blood-free shave with a Feather no matter how I try. Using the Reds on the other hand, I swear I could get a comfortable BBS shave blindfolded. You're right, there is no contest between these two.....Reds all the way!

 

[grampi]

I have been working my way through a sample pack from Westcoastshaving and the blade I have enjoyed most is the IP. So much so that I just ordered a hundred pack.

I feel like I am getting pretty proficient with a D/E at this point so last week I thought I'd drop a feather in the to see what all the hype was about. Chewed me up like it hated me on a personal level and I had more nicks and weepers than I had on my first D/E shave!

The Feathers may be sharper, but for me more irritating. Though, I will probably visit them again in a couple of months and see if it is a different story.

I don't think whether or not you're going to get a nick-free shave or a blood bath when using a Feather has anything to do with technique. I can shave 25 times in a row using the Reds with no nicks or irritation, so I know my technique is fine. But when I try using a Feather it turns my face into hamburger. I think it's just that Feathers are so sharp that either the texture of your skin is such that the blade is going to glide over it without cutting the skin, or it's not. If it were technique related I'd be able to get a comfortable shave regardless of what type of blade I'm using, or I'd get nicks and irritation regardless of the blade brand.