Feathers: My experience, seems to truly be a case of YMMV.

[milkmanv1]

Hey guys, just a quick little thread about one of my first experiences of YMMV.

I have a pretty coarse beard, and a rather sensitive neck. Nothing out of the ordinary really, common problems. I've been wetshaving for a decent chunk of time, long enough to really start to get the hang of it, and i've been slowly working my way through the blade sampler pack I got with my first DE. I finally tried my first feather the other day, gave it a test run in my merker 1904 classic, considering my only other DE is a red tip, which I figured coupled with a feather would be too agressive. The first shave was awesome, but there was definitely some tug. The second shave, still pretty good, but noticeable blade decline. Today my third shave with the blade, essentially ended it's life. I wound up with two weepers on my neck, which I ordinarily do not get. If I'm careless I'll get a nick, and too rough I'll get irritation/bumps, but usually no random bleeding/weepers that you see before you feel.

Basically I'm just finding myself slighlty suprised that a blade that started so sharp could dull so quickly. Also I noted that for how sharp the blade is, it isn't very smooth. With what I read before I ever put a non-cartridge razor to my face, I assumed feathers would be one of the best blades for my coarse beard. My mileage definitely varied, and I've learned the hard way that the only way to really get to know a blade, is to put it to your face.

I still have to revisit the Blue Israeli super platinums I got in the sampler, but the only blades I have found I like so far out of the 5 types I've tried, is the mexican red personna and the astras would get the award for runner up.

Are the Israeli Red Personnas any better than the mexican ones? I think I'm definitely going to utilize the blade exchange very soon, I have some blades I know I don't like so I may give the israeli's a shot.

But while I'm at it, does anyone have any recommendations for the blade they've found to have an almost perfect balance of sharp/smooth?

Thanks for your time
-Joe

 

[Resante]

Funny, your experience here is almost the exact same as my first and only with the Astra SP... except the weepers came on the first shave. I've tried the Mexican marked red Personnas and they seemed ok. This is in a Krona. Best blade so far for me is the 7 Oclock Yellow. Sharp and smooth.

 

[elverdiblanco]

I have a coarse beard and my experience with Feathers is similar to yours; first shave is great but the blade is really done by the third shave. I've been using a Perma Sharp Super this week and so far I've had 6 great shaves with it. YMMV of course but I'm very impressed with this blade.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/50S-PERMA-SHARP-DOUBLE-EDGE-SAFETY-RAZOR-BLADES-/200948209332

I've also used 7 O'Clock yellows and Astra SPs, neither of them come close to the Perma Sharp.

 

[mce00771]

Feathers also gave out quickly for me. I also had weepers on every shave with them, although the shave was very close. I have been working through the Gillette 7 O'Clock line and they are all sharp and smoother than the Feather. I too am working my way through a sample pack of blades. The 7 O'Clock Greens (Russian) are my favorite of every blade I had tried, but I really liked the yellows and blacks as well. They all also seemed to have better longevity than the Feather. You might want to give the Gillettes a try.

 

[Neffarious]

I have had the same experience with the feathers. I like the 7olock blacks and GSB and the RED Personnas. They are essentially the same as the super platinum personnas (blue). The mexican personnas are just wrapped there. They are made in Israel.

 

[Jason smooth]

Though I am American, my dad is Italian and I can grow a full beard within 3 weeks. I get 4 shaves with the Feather blade and then I flip it over and get 4 more shaves from the other side. Everyone's skin, shape of your face and beard is different so everyone will get different results. This is why there are so many options out there,

 

[hakemakmal]

+1 My fav blade so far follow by GSB and Astra SP,i find it to perform on par with PSI but PSI might be tad sharper.

 

[rodmonster]

I really want to like the Feathers, I really do. I have barbed wire for a beard on the order of course sand paper. The Feathers cut through my beard like sh*t through a goose, or something like that. Unfortunately, despite my very best efforts, the Feathers also takes off the first few millimeters of skin leaving me a weeping mess. I do not have the same problem with the Polsilver, the GSB or the Crystal Blues. I prefer all of them to the Feathers.

 

[Talal]

i personally recommend trying:

-7 oclock black
-barbex
-supermax
-super barba

possibly even something from the lord company such as sharks, racer, asco, etc..

many have complained about the feather wearing quickly, Feather is the only blade i consider using once myself.

 

[StubbleTrouble]

Two great shaves with a feather in my case... Still learning and exploring.... Check back in six more months....

 

[talibeard]

For me the first shave with a Feather is great, the second passable and a third a mistake; they deteriorate fast on my stubble.
As for advice; I will give you none. Blades are so personal that I think you have to follow your own road here; one man's heaven is another man's hell as far as blades are concerned. Read and try, try and read and find the blades that suit you and don't be afraid to even try blades that are reviewed badly in general as your fav could be among those as well!

 

[Vlamgat]

Feathers seem very smooth when I actually shave, but then I begin to see nicks that start to bleed. Scarily sharp. Not for me.

 

[jasonjmccoy]

I also have a pretty coarse beard and a ridiculously sensitive neck. I can get an OK 1st shave from a Feather, but anything after that is going to hack me up pretty bad, they just don't seem to last. I've had my best luck with Shark Super Chrome and Blue Personna's. Either way, I pretty much toss a blade after 2 shaves, the amount I'd save by squeezing a 3rd shave out of a blade just isn't worth the chance it'll chew up my neck

 

[MSstrahan]

I hate feathers. I have tried to like them, but I can't.

 

[TADIII]

I am trying hard to like something OTHER than Feathers. I used Brit Wilkinsons for most of the last 45 years (until I found THIS place). Since midsummer I have tried Feathers, Polsilver SIs, Personnas (hospital, lab, and Red), German Wilkinsons, Gillette Extra Bleus (made in St. Petersburg), and maybe a few others that I cannot remember.
But for close, irritation-free shaves nothing else is close to the Feather for me. And that is in the Old Type, New LC, Slim, and Fatboy, and always four or five great shaves without that throat irritation. Although...I have nicked myself on the fifth shave more than once, but I did that with the Personnas, too.


No avatar or cool sig

 

[Retiredgene]

My advice - try out a sizable sampler group to see what appeals to you. I tried 35 different blades, minimum 3 shaves shave per blade to make sure I got a "feel" for it. For me, I kept the razor the same (EJde89l) to minimize some of the variables until my technique improved and then added a Weber DLC as a reward

Since then I have bought 100 pack for 6 of them (many different reasons, YMMV) as I like a rotation and don't laugh but Feathers (sharp for 3, up to 5 shaves) are in there along with Derby and Sharks, Med Prep & Red IP and Astra.

Gene

 

[Kyrlos]

Coarse beard-Feathers work for me, but as always YMMV