Feather Artist Club or Whipped Dog

itsmedave · Post by **itsmedave** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 10:04 am

I'm really wanting to get into straights but want to make sure I do it the right way. I tried straight shaving once with a junky Marbles Straight razor and didn't enjoy it at all. At this point, I'm debating either a whipped dog set or the Feather Artist Club Series SS. The main issue between the two is cost. The Feather will be more expensive at startup but all I'll have to buy after that is more blades. The WD set is $50, but I'd more than likely need to get it honed down the road, get more strops because I'd more than likely cut a few or damage them and then getting into hones, coticules and more expensive razors, it seems it would cost more in the long run. I've tried Shavettes before (both the Parker and the Dovo) but both seemed to light to be practical. Thanks for any advice.

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 10:54 am

If you're looking to economize, or keep it simple, I guess one way to figure it all out would be to start with the one you think would be cheap and simple and then if you got tired of that or just didn't enjoy it all that much, then you could go the more complex and expensive way.

itsmedave · Post by **itsmedave** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 12:12 pm

I may just do both and then sell whichever one I don't use.

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 12:26 pm

That's probably the best!

Percypurps · Post by **Percypurps** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 2:49 pm

Whilst the Feather is an excellent shaving tool in it's own right, it is not necessarily the best introduction to straights; the two may share a similar form, but functionally there are a number of differences. First and foremost, there is of course honing and stropping. Not having to do either with a Feather is seen as one of it's advantages, but if you're serious about getting into straights you are going to have to bite the bullet at some point and procure a strop and hones; true, it is best to start with a shave-ready razor, but you are going to need a strop from the very beginning. Some people actually enjoy stropping, God knows why I find it unbearably tedious, but it is a necessary evil. You can get a straight honed for around $20, but not many people have the disposable income to hire someone to come and strop a razor for them every morning.

Secondly, there are a number of subtle differences in usage and technique, which may not seem very important to begin with, but ultimately add up to the difference between a mediocre shave and an excellent shave. There is a difference in balance; Feathers being heavier than all but the wedgiest (not a real word I know, but it will suffice) of straights. Then there is the question of the angle of the spine. Personally, with a Feather, I find it easiest to have the spine as close to the face as is practicable, but with a proper straight I find the need to bring the the spine further away from face; the universally accepted 30 degree angle is certainly not a one size fits all solution, but to begin with you are better off resting the spine and edge gently on the face and moving the spine slowly away from the face until the edge no longer feels like it is pulling. Obviously this will vary from razor to razor and will be influenced by a number of factors including the finishing medium/ hone of choice, the type of steel and the grind of the razor. But it isn't necessary for a beginner to get unnecessarily bogged down in the minutiae, you know your face better than anyone else, and as such you will know what feels best for yourself.

The feedback you get from a straight is different to that provided by a Feather, which in itself is different to the feedback you get from the other Feather based on a Japanese style razor. If you learn to pick up on the feedback early on, you will get a feel for how the edge is behaving both on your face and on the hones, which is a big advantage when you're trying to sharpen razors yourself. The construction of the Feather acts like sound deadening, limiting the type of feedback you get from a regular Feather, and wiping it out completely with the kamisori-style Feather.

Another crucial difference between Feather razors and proper straights is the type of stroke used, this differs quite a lot between the two, and is the main reason why I don't think the Feather is the best introduction to straight razors. The Feather, having such a sharp, fine edge shaves best with a simple top-down stroke, in my experience. With a regular straight, I tend to bring the edge across my face as well as going down. This is what people mean when they talk about a scything-stroke. I'm probably not describing it very well, and it may seem like a relatively small difference to someone not used to straights, but in practice the two strokes, and the different implements are distinct. This is the main reason why I don't think a Feather makes a good starting point for someone who intends to get started with straights.

I realise that my incredibly long-winded post, isn't the best response to a beginner; however, I can assure you that I am the single most impractical person in the whole world. If i can shave with a straight, anyone can. Like many people, I came to the hobby after years of frustration with cartridges, I had no previous experience in sharpening anything at all, and was completely overwhelmed by the number of different options available. As someone who now shaves exclusively with straights, and looking back on my own experiences, I can assure you that the best introduction to straight razors is a shave ready razor purchased from the classifieds of any one of the wet-shaving forums. Learn how to shave, strop and sharpen on one razor and before you know it you'll have picked up a great deal first-hand, and should be able to make an informed decision of how you wish to progress in the hobby.

Kindest regards,
Alex

Squire · Post by **Squire** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 3:21 pm

Try them both Dave, you'll have unanswered questions otherwise.

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 4:53 pm

They are different to the point that I can't consider a Feather AC or a Shavette as a straight razor. They are sui generis.

Chris

itsmedave · Post by **itsmedave** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 5:24 pm

I think I'll go with the Whipped Dog for now (due to money) and maybe take some Christmas Money and get the Feather down the road. Do you guys recommend going ahead and getting the second strop just in case? Are there any alterations I should make to the "sight unseen deal"? I just read the fantastic guide to SR Shaving (thanks for that)

Squire · Post by **Squire** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 5:48 pm

Dave one strop will do to start and it doesn't have to be a new one. If you haven't already I suggest you visit www.straightrazorplace.com before buying anything.

itsmedave · Post by **itsmedave** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 6:04 pm

Thanks Gentlemen for all your help. I'll check out SRP soon enough. I'm looking forward to giving it a shot.

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Mon Dec 19, 2011 7:19 am

Dave, Squire's advice regarding Straight Razor Place is spot on. Read before you buy! Good luck!

itsmedave · Post by **itsmedave** » Mon Dec 19, 2011 5:51 pm

I'm already bidding on Straights on EBAY. I knew this wouldn't end well

Due to my love for Case knives, I've always wanted a Red Imp so I think I'll get one.

itsmedave · Post by **itsmedave** » Fri Dec 30, 2011 6:57 pm

I now have a Shumate (from Larry at WhippedDog), a Case Red Imp, A Boker Diamond, A DublDuck, a Parker Shavette, and a Feather Artist Club on the way. Looks like I have the SRAD bad.

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Sat Dec 31, 2011 6:09 am

Holy mackeral Dave! Way to go! Now the work starts, big time! I guess you already know that.

itsmedave · Post by **itsmedave** » Sun Jan 01, 2012 11:23 am

brothers wrote:Holy mackeral Dave! Way to go! Now the work starts, big time! I guess you already know that.

By work do you mean selling off a bunch of stuff to pay for all this? If so, I've done well so far. I still need a hone and a 3' strop, so some more DE's and soaps will go on the Sell Trade forum as soon as I've had time to photograph them. The Red Imp wasn't in good shape but surprisingly the Boker was as looker. I sent them off to get honed good and am shaving with the Duck I just got off another site. The Duck shaves much better than the Shumate and seems easier to handle.

loueedacat1 · Post by **loueedacat1** » Tue May 22, 2012 5:28 pm

I used to shave every day with a straight, but having moved to NJ a year ago and commuting to NYC every day (which is a pain by the way), I haven't had time, so have been using a DE. Just bought a feather AC to celebrate a great year and I really like it. I finding I get a very nice 1 pass or 2 pass shave, and the weight of the feather is pretty similar to a straight. Only difference is it doesn't flex in the way a real straight does, so you have that little bit less control, but I found used carefully I enjoy it decently close to as much as a real straight.

scareyourpassenger · Post by **scareyourpassenger** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 5:40 am

I just got my first whipped dog straight. A Pic razor from Germany. 1st shave , I took it easy and just did my cheeks.

I upped it to two passes and my entire face today. I did pretty well but have the proof that I am new to this! 3 clean cuts, two of which were because I didn't watch the tip which was just as shave ready as the rest of the blade. I think I may need to tame some of the edges as the shoulder managed to damage the surface of the strop a bit.

jgkeegan · Post by **jgkeegan** » Wed Sep 19, 2012 4:31 am

I transitioned from Feather and Kai shavettes to straights and I think the former made it easier to use straights.

In general, there is far more feel to straights. For reasons I can't define, there seems to be a magic to straights; something makes me feel better.

Yes the shavettes are sharp, super sharp. For me they lacked feedback. They worked but there was no joy, if that doesn't sound silly.

--james

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Wed Sep 19, 2012 4:48 am

James, I agree with you on the way using a straight razor makes me feel. I look forward to it every time.

jgkeegan · Post by **jgkeegan** » Wed Sep 19, 2012 4:59 am

brothers wrote:James, I agree with you on the way using a straight razor makes me feel. I look forward to it every time.

I do too.