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Reason for the name "Feather"

I have a pile of both DE blades and cartridges. I was using cartridges for a while and when I switched back to DE, the first thing I noticed was that I had gotten used to pressing much harder with the cartridges because I never got cut, regardless of how I pressed the cartridge. After going back to DE, I first was getting cut with a Feather blade, then it dawned on me that I should treat the DE razor just as if I was lightly brushing a feather across my skin, letting the razor's weight alone carry it along. The result was no cuts with DE. Maybe this could help people starting out with DE. The most important thing in my opinion is to use a very sharp blade and treat it like a light feather. With a cart, you have a plastic frame preventing the blade from digging into your skin. You can't get as close as DE, but it's easier to avoid getting cut.
 
I have a pile of both DE blades and cartridges. I was using cartridges for a while and when I switched back to DE, the first thing I noticed was that I had gotten used to pressing much harder with the cartridges because I never got cut, regardless of how I pressed the cartridge. After going back to DE, I first was getting cut with a Feather blade, then it dawned on me that I should treat the DE razor just as if I was lightly brushing a feather across my skin, letting the razor's weight alone carry it along. The result was no cuts with DE. Maybe this could help people starting out with DE. The most important thing in my opinion is to use a very sharp blade and treat it like a light feather. With a cart, you have a plastic frame preventing the blade from digging into your skin. You can't get as close as DE, but it's easier to avoid getting cut.
That’s a nice theory, but I doubt that is the reason. I suspect they changed their name to feather primarily to appeal to the English speaking market. We will probably never know why they chose Feather.
 

Whisky

ATF. I use all three.
Staff member
You can see on FEATHER Safety Razor Co., Ltd.MADE IN JAPAN - https://www.feather.co.jp/en/company/history.html that the company got renamed twice. There is also a contact form, for the curious. My speculation: after WW2 a lot of Japanese companies adopted English-sounding names because of their primary export markets and the political situation at that time.
This is an interesting theory. My wife knows someone that she went to high school with who makes really good money as a consultant to Asian families helping them pick “western” names for their kids.
 
I don't know about DE, but if you count shavettes, then there's always Kai:

 
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I'm talking about Feather DE safety razors. Are there other Japanese brands?
Don't know of any other than Feather.

As I recall when I was in Osaka two or three decades ago, the hotel gave plastic razors made by KAI. A plastic handle with a cartridge that, although it was made by KAI, was interchangeable with a Trac II cardridge.

I wouldn't be surprised if KAI still made cheap razors to be used with whatever cartridges they make at least for domestic use, but I don't know about DEs.

Of course as others mentioned KAI does make the blades. I'm not sure about the other ones Jim (acvil) shows, if they're made in Japan, or just made with "Japanese Stainless Steel" somewhere else.

Maybe they named it Feather because it's for the birds, other wise if it was for men they would have named it Whisker razor?

Actually I think "Feather" in Japanese sounds a little like "feather" in English (something like fezah), for whatever that may have to do with anything.
 
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As I recall when I was in Osaka two or three decades ago, the hotel gave plastic razors made by KAI. A plastic handle with a cartridge that, although it was made by KAI, was interchangeable with a Trac II cardridge.

I wouldn't be surprised if KAI still made cheap razors to be used with whatever cartridges they make at least for domestic use, but I don't know about DEs.
KAI still makes that style of plastic razor, along with a bunch of fancy 5-blade pivoting models. Occasionally, you can find them in North America at Japanese dollar stores (like Daiso, Everyday Items Japan, etc.) if you have one in your city.

A local store near me carries the Trac II lookalike that you mentioned. I've been tempted to buy a pack (one handle and 8 twin-blade cartridges for $4) just out of curiosity. Looks like this:

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Actually I think "Feather" in Japanese sounds a little like "feather" in English (something like fezah), for whatever that may have to do with anything.
If you're using the Katakana writing system (used to transcribe foreign words into Japanese), then "feather" would be pronounced "fe-za".

But, obviously, they have a word for "feather" in their regular writing system, Hiragana (for everyday Japanese words). It's hane, pronounced as two syllables: ha (just as it sounds) and ne (pronounced like the ne in "net"... just drop the "t"). Hane doesn't have multiple meanings; it just refers to a bird's feather (or tori no hane as the Japanese would say). :)
 
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