The Bleeding Edge

[Teutonblade]

Someone in the Shave Dads group on FB posted a link to a razor blade sale which had a 200 pack of Feathers (Yellow package) on sale for $50. Although I had never used one, my impression from reading many forum posts was that Feathers had a reputation for being the sharpest of all blades. Some even complained how it "tore up" their faces. Based on the premium price point I assumed the Feathers were best-in-class. So I ordered a pack of 200.

I only began wet shaving a few months ago, and even I'm shocked how fast and far I've fallen down the rabbit hole. I have no idea if it will last, but to call it a new hobby would be an understatement. It's more of a fever. I started with a Merkur 34C, which I quickly upgraded to a longer 38B. I added a Lambda Athena, Blackbird SS polished, and Game Changer 0.84, and have an Overlander, Timeless Ti95, and Le Maurice 1.4, either on order or en route. Yes, I have RAD. Luckily my wife thinks this a good hobby, mainly because it doesn't involve anything which she would deem "unsafe" (and all that this implies).

So far, my love for the Athena seems to outshine the others. It's efficiency, comfort and beauty, simply can't be ignored. That said, I indeed respect the awesome capability of the Blackbird, and the GC and Merkur are also fine razors that have earned their notoriety for unique merits. The Athena delivers a true BBS, which although it can be bested by the Blackbird just ever so slightly, it comes at a cost. I started the Athena on an Astra, but swapped into a Wizamet after reading a positive review. The results were clear, the Wizamet delivered much improved blade feedback and a smoother shave, without being punishing.

Which brings me to the Feather. After placing the order I realized I had never actually tried one. Luckily, I threw in one tuck from an early sample order from the Razorbladeclub and decided to give it a spin on my Athena the next morning. Well, I was really surprised. The blade feel was noticeably less than the Wizamet. I actually had trouble sensing if it was cutting at all. The word which kept coming to mind was it feels "light". Which I guess is apropos given its name. But more importantly was the result. Whereas the Wizamet in my Athena consistently delivers a true BBS, after hard work with the Feather I would rate the shave a DFS-. I'm sure some will say its technique, which I'll concede could be true. YMMV. I was lucky enough to catch my Feather order in time to cancel it. For now, I'm sticking with Wizamet. I have one tuck of Kai's. I'll try that next

 

[Quaznoid]

Feathers are too sharp. And they dull quickly. And they’re too expensive. I can buy 600 Lords for that $50.

Feathers are useful if you have an extremely mild razor like the razors Feather sells. IMHO, Feather blades are part of a marketing scheme to lock Feather’s too-mild razor users into their blades, a variation on Gillette’s strategy from the early 20th century when they were the only blade available.

 

[Halfbeard]

I was afraid much more scary post reading the subject. I imagined what a newbie's blade looked like in post subject.

Luckily everything is OK.

 

[BigJ]

Feathers are too sharp. And they dull quickly. And they’re too expensive. I can buy 600 Lords for that $50.

Feathers are useful if you have an extremely mild razor like the razors Feather sells. IMHO, Feather blades are part of a marketing scheme to lock Feather’s too-mild razor users into their blades, a variation on Gillette’s strategy from the early 20th century when they were the only blade available.

+1! Must say that I agree with the expert! For me, Feathers are too sharp and unforgiving, but that‘s me. Many here love them. So, all I can say is give them a try and decide for yourself!

 

[Grundi]

Definitely YMMV with Feathers. They are sharp, but consistently, it's shave #4 with a Feather blade that provides the best shave for me. I like KAI's over Feathers and mild razors over aggressive ones.

Having said this, I have an AliExpress razor that was "heavily inspired" by the Feather AS-D2 that I haven't tried a Feather blade in and probably ought to.

 

[Quaznoid]

Grundi, I like the Bogey in “African Queen” avatar. I love that film even though I loath Katherine Hepburn.

Where r u from in Maine?

 

[JAHE]

Having said this, I have an AliExpress razor that was "heavily inspired" by the Feather AS-D2 that I haven't tried a Feather blade in and probably ought to.

Which razor are you referring to?

 

[abies]

What can I say: I really like Feathers. I don't get as many shaves out of them but they're consistent and smooth for me. I do like mild razors though.

Normally I don't buy them because they're too expensive but picked them up from Pasteurs for a price similar to what I'd pay for a Personna or other blade once shipping is included.

Maybe I should try a Lord blade sometime soon. They're on my list of "never tried but would like to".

 

[bkatbamna]

Feathers are excellent as long as you don't use pressure and let the blade cut the hair. They don't last more than 3 shaves for me though. Nacets are about as sharp but last 6, sometimes 7 shaves.

 

[mcee_sharp]

For me, they're great and can last sufficiently in the "right" razor. I'm not dedicated to them however and have since found a cheaper aggressive blade for the single razor where I appreciated Feathers.

In other razors, with differing geometry, I didn't enjoy them as much and they didn't last as many shaves.

 

[Grundi]

Which razor are you referring to?

Here it is. There isn't a "name" per-se to search for it (though I lovingly call it the Ali X3-D2). I found it for looking different but "very low cost" razors on their site. It's actually a well made and shaves nicely. You can see the "inspiration" in the base plate. I need to load up a Feather blade in it and see how it does.

 

[Grundi]

Grundi, I like the Bogey in “African Queen” avatar. I love that film even though I loath Katherine Hepburn.

Where r u from in Maine?

Thanks. I like Bogey's "everyman" face, and the scruff seemed appropriate for a shaving forum avatar. I'm in Lewiston (yes, that Lewiston, and yes, the action went right by my house).

 

[Quaznoid]

Thanks. I like Bogey's "everyman" face, and the scruff seemed appropriate for a shaving forum avatar. I'm in Lewiston (yes, that Lewiston, and yes, the action went right by my house).

Have visited Maine more than 35 times, mostly from Blue Hill to Calais, but also Baxter, Moosehead and Presque Isle. Had a chance to go to law school in Portland but I passed it by. Probably would have settled there, but, oh well. Love your state.

 

[Saloogie]

When I first started DE shaving I thought that the sharpest blade had to be the best blade, so I went with Feathers. WRONG! I couldn't handle them, but obviously my technique was likely the culprit.

So I backed off hard on sharp blades and went with blades that had the opposite reputation, not sharp, and slowly moved up from there. So now I'm happy and comfortable with blades at the middle of the sharp scale, Trig's, Treets and Lord's, and I'm happy right there in the middle.

I guess I feel that all I need is a razor blade sharp enough to cut my whiskers and nothing more. Anything more can lead to irritation and nicks. Maybe one day I'll go back to Feathers, but I'm good for now.

 

[tejolot3]

I've only used Feather a couple of times, and it was years ago. I too remember it feeling 'light', but in a very pleasant way. As you described, it was somehow less noticeable that the blade was actually doing any work. I think this is the hallmark of a thin, sharp blade. In my limited experience, Feather is very sharp and delivers a very good shave. As long as you pay constant attention and don't let your focus drift while shaving, there shouldn't be much bleeding.

But that price! At roughly half the price, I've found, Gillette Nacet provides very nearly the same quality of shave as Feather and, from what I've gathered on the forum, lasts longer.

 

[WhiskerLess]

Feathers are excellent as long as you don't use pressure and let the blade cut the hair. They don't last more than 3 shaves for me though. Nacets are about as sharp but last 6, sometimes 7 shaves.

But that price! At roughly half the price, I've found, Gillette Nacet provides very nearly the same quality of shave as Feather and, from what I've gathered on the forum, lasts longer.

This gives me courage to go and try Feather blade pretty soon. Been dodging this blade for being notoriously sharp.

I tried Nacet recently which I like and good to know that its as close as Feather.