This article would best be titled: How DE shaving helped a str8-luvr tame the Feather AC.
First, background check ... I remain, in every measure, a newbie. However, due to an already well developed AD lobe somewhere in my pre-frontal cortex, a newbie with a fair amount of toys and therefore the opportunity to experience different aspects of shaving with a newbie-ish and childlike mind.
Second, some history ... I came to wet shaving via the straight razor route. An adolescent crush on metallurgy, a crush that NEVER matured to an appropriate and satisfactory reciprocal love affair; I have yet yield and purchase a historical Rapier from Lion Import but have read all I could on european swordsmanship and smithing, I have yet to procure myself a true nihonto but boy did I read and accumulate "useless" knowledge on japanese metallurgy as well. Somewhere along the way, I finally woke up to the existence of what may be the most "modern" expression of steel that presently exists for little more than its own existence, and yet and expression of the metallurgical art forms that can be used for its intended purpose ! In the same way that art exists for art's sake, can we truly say that we as modern men in a modern society (not we as marginal enthusiasts) NEED straight blades ? And the intended purpose ? Well sure we can still purchase incredible examples of swords, but do we spend time learning how to use them and actually APPLY that knowledge on a regular basis ? The straight razor really is one of the rare works of art that exist to please and yet serves in a real fashion ... this may sound contradictory but let the thought sink in, were the straight razor not to exist would someone invent it today ?
Third, why the Feather and how the DEs ? As much as the beginning arose from straights, there was just no turning back to cartridges EVER .... and yet I am still unable to get a good fast shave from my blades, I can get a pleasant shave with fair results but it require 30 minutes of my time to completely indulge in the wonderful rituals of the straight shave. Unable to look back, unwilling to take ANY distance from my new and wonderful collection of soaps, creams, aftershaves, balms, etc ... I begun learning and buying DEs.
This still does not explain the Feather ... in any way. As stated above, WAY above at this point, straight shaving was and remains the initial impetus to all of this acquiring and learning. And as much as I like the DEs for great no-fuss shaves and traveling, the joy of wielding the blade entirely with my own hand seemed to be lacking ... aaaaah ... the Feather makes its grand entrance. And I was traveling as per the photo, in the Bajan sun at Gibb's bay, friend's beach house, perfect time to try out the Feather AC.
And now, the crux of this long winded introduction: Nothing, and I mean NOTHING in the world of straight shaving could have been as preparatory to shaving with a Feather AC as DE shaving was. The butcher jobs from these Feathers that I have read on multiple forums have almost always been in the hands of straight shavers ... the secret ... Feather ACs should NOT be thought of as straight razors, they are DEs (or SEs if you like) in the shape of straights !!! In other words, all the rules that apply to DEs(SEs) apply to Feathers: NO pressure, NO weight, angle ONLY until the blade begins to make contact ... and voila comfortable shave with no cuts or nicks or blood and no trips to the ER to see me ... your feather is your best friend for travel. Sincerely, I can find little in the straight shavers repertoire of techniques, other than hand grips, that truly prepare a straight shaver for a Feather in comparison to the DE shavers. Look at every post that DE shavers share with newbie DE shavers, the main stress is ALWAYS no pressure and use the razors weight.
PS: I want to thank Joe at Italian barber, most reasonable prices on the interwebs for Feather ACs in all of their configurations ... and Fendrihan for starting me down the road of many ADs. And as always, thanks to B&B and all of you who have introduced me to wet shaving and all its many pleasures.
View attachment 141872
First, background check ... I remain, in every measure, a newbie. However, due to an already well developed AD lobe somewhere in my pre-frontal cortex, a newbie with a fair amount of toys and therefore the opportunity to experience different aspects of shaving with a newbie-ish and childlike mind.
Second, some history ... I came to wet shaving via the straight razor route. An adolescent crush on metallurgy, a crush that NEVER matured to an appropriate and satisfactory reciprocal love affair; I have yet yield and purchase a historical Rapier from Lion Import but have read all I could on european swordsmanship and smithing, I have yet to procure myself a true nihonto but boy did I read and accumulate "useless" knowledge on japanese metallurgy as well. Somewhere along the way, I finally woke up to the existence of what may be the most "modern" expression of steel that presently exists for little more than its own existence, and yet and expression of the metallurgical art forms that can be used for its intended purpose ! In the same way that art exists for art's sake, can we truly say that we as modern men in a modern society (not we as marginal enthusiasts) NEED straight blades ? And the intended purpose ? Well sure we can still purchase incredible examples of swords, but do we spend time learning how to use them and actually APPLY that knowledge on a regular basis ? The straight razor really is one of the rare works of art that exist to please and yet serves in a real fashion ... this may sound contradictory but let the thought sink in, were the straight razor not to exist would someone invent it today ?
Third, why the Feather and how the DEs ? As much as the beginning arose from straights, there was just no turning back to cartridges EVER .... and yet I am still unable to get a good fast shave from my blades, I can get a pleasant shave with fair results but it require 30 minutes of my time to completely indulge in the wonderful rituals of the straight shave. Unable to look back, unwilling to take ANY distance from my new and wonderful collection of soaps, creams, aftershaves, balms, etc ... I begun learning and buying DEs.
This still does not explain the Feather ... in any way. As stated above, WAY above at this point, straight shaving was and remains the initial impetus to all of this acquiring and learning. And as much as I like the DEs for great no-fuss shaves and traveling, the joy of wielding the blade entirely with my own hand seemed to be lacking ... aaaaah ... the Feather makes its grand entrance. And I was traveling as per the photo, in the Bajan sun at Gibb's bay, friend's beach house, perfect time to try out the Feather AC.
And now, the crux of this long winded introduction: Nothing, and I mean NOTHING in the world of straight shaving could have been as preparatory to shaving with a Feather AC as DE shaving was. The butcher jobs from these Feathers that I have read on multiple forums have almost always been in the hands of straight shavers ... the secret ... Feather ACs should NOT be thought of as straight razors, they are DEs (or SEs if you like) in the shape of straights !!! In other words, all the rules that apply to DEs(SEs) apply to Feathers: NO pressure, NO weight, angle ONLY until the blade begins to make contact ... and voila comfortable shave with no cuts or nicks or blood and no trips to the ER to see me ... your feather is your best friend for travel. Sincerely, I can find little in the straight shavers repertoire of techniques, other than hand grips, that truly prepare a straight shaver for a Feather in comparison to the DE shavers. Look at every post that DE shavers share with newbie DE shavers, the main stress is ALWAYS no pressure and use the razors weight.
PS: I want to thank Joe at Italian barber, most reasonable prices on the interwebs for Feather ACs in all of their configurations ... and Fendrihan for starting me down the road of many ADs. And as always, thanks to B&B and all of you who have introduced me to wet shaving and all its many pleasures.
View attachment 141872