Feather Artist Club.... now I am getting somewhere!

Joe Lerch · Post by **Joe Lerch** » Sat May 14, 2005 9:58 pm

It could just be the photo, but you seem to be using a very large angle with the Feather. I've heard that they're designed to be used as flat as possible.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Sun May 15, 2005 9:49 pm

Joel, Those are some rather nasty looking razor bumps, redness, and whatnot in that first photo. Are they a result of your earlier encounters with the Feather? Glad to hear that things are looking up, that first set of pictures was definately neither encouraging nor pleasant. Regards, Gordon

ARenaissanceMan · Post by **ARenaissanceMan** » Sun May 15, 2005 11:05 pm

bernards66 wrote:Joel, Those are some rather nasty looking razor bumps, redness, and whatnot in that first photo. Are they a result of your earlier encounters with the Feather? Glad to hear that things are looking up, that first set of pictures was definately neither encouraging nor pleasant. Regards, Gordon

I was wondering the same thing. Looks like you could use a week off hammer.

Joe Lerch · Post by **Joe Lerch** » Mon May 16, 2005 8:39 am

Chris Moss:

Could you clarify your statement in an earlier e-mail. Did you mean to say that the Shavette shaved as well as your best st8s?

Joe Lerch · Post by **Joe Lerch** » Mon May 16, 2005 12:53 pm

It's clear to me that maintaining the the razor is as important to you as the actual shave.

I sense that there's something there that you wouoldn't want to give up even if the Feather outdid your best str8.

I don't have that problem since I'm just learning to use the str8. If it turned out that the Feather was as good I could avoid a tremendous learning curve.

I'm looking forward to your reaction with anticipation.

Post by **Sam** » Mon May 16, 2005 1:39 pm

joe: i thought like you did; if i could shave with a feather and avoid honing, id be in hog heaven. but there is that romantic notion of using a full-bore straight that chris says makes it seem just right. i have honed my razor on a pasted strop and got it fairly sharp. when my club razor comes in, i am gonna get some pastes i think from handamerica. dont know whether to get the flatbed hone or just some leather strips, but one paste i will get is the 0.5 green paste. i may get the ti paste for my linen, and i may get some other paste. i have some barber hones that may take a long time to get a big ding out of it, but i think the pasted strops ought to be easier to use and will keep my straights really keen for a good long while. also the feel of a straight seems so right. the actual shaving length of the feather is a bit off for me, and i tried, but after 5 shaves, did not like it as well. i read where someone actually dulls the feather blades by cutting into wood when they are new? if i have to do that, then forget it. and chris is right, i can get a better shave with a straight that is almost to needing a good honing then i can with a new de blade, at least on my cheeks

sam

Joe Lerch · Post by **Joe Lerch** » Mon May 16, 2005 8:12 pm

Hey guys! This sounds very encouraging.

karim0028 · Post by **karim0028** » Mon May 16, 2005 9:25 pm

Yeah, i also have the wired blades and am not liking the wired blades (cant get close enough) so i tend to push harder... I think it's time i went straight to the regular blades....

Chris, what kind of blades are u using the medium grade or the professional?

-Hytham

Joe Lerch · Post by **Joe Lerch** » Tue May 17, 2005 10:13 am

Worth giving up? You're kidding, right?

rschul2 · Post by **rschul2** » Tue May 17, 2005 10:37 am

Chris,
Would you recommend this (feather) to a person who has never shaved with a staight before? Or do you feel it would be better to start with a traditional straight? Just wondering. I've been thinking about the feather for some time, but I've never used a straight before--only DE's.

karim0028 · Post by **karim0028** » Tue May 17, 2005 10:53 am

You should be fine using a feather with the guarded blades to learn your technique. Just go really light while your learning.... I shaved with a shavette for about 4-6 yrs and when i switched to the feather i had my technique down pat so i had no problems even the first time i used it..... It shaves great for me.

-Hytham

Joe Lerch · Post by **Joe Lerch** » Tue May 17, 2005 7:44 pm

Chris:

Think of it this way, if you use the Feather a lot, you can still enjoy working on your razors, but the pressure is off in terms of always needing to have razors ready for use.

I just took my first successful str8 shave with that Micarta. For the first time, I believe that I can succeed. I think I'm definitely going to use a Feather for the sheer convenience, but I intend to develop my razor maintaining skills as a hobby. It should be fun. I've always been a tinkerer. And who knows, maybe I'll even collect a few so I'll have something to work on. It beats gardening.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Tue May 17, 2005 8:36 pm

Joe, "....something to work on...", indeed. Just ask Chris, he has over seventy of the suckers! Chris, What do you make of the claims by some, that with the modern gradated diamond pastes, and all, that good straights can be honed significently sharper then even Feather blades? I've read claims like this more then once. Regards, Gordon

Post by **Sam** » Wed May 18, 2005 5:34 am

i tried some diamond paste, 0.25 on a leather strop nirmal sent me. that Ti blade was really, really keen. but i have not used anything that is as sharp as the feather professional blade in the feather straight.

sam

clownjuggles · Post by **clownjuggles** » Wed May 18, 2005 6:33 am

I think with the feather blades the only way you could perhaps make the edge sharper would be to decrease the angle that the edge is on. That would make the razor sharper. But I don't think it would be shave worthy. I remember when i used to work construction that every angle had it's purpose.

Joe Lerch · Post by **Joe Lerch** » Wed May 18, 2005 8:05 am

Gordon:

Far be it from me to think about honing sharper than feathe when the likes of Chris Moss candidly admit that they can't.

Razor maintenance could obviously be an enjoyable hobby regardless, just like collecting.

honkdonker · Post by **honkdonker** » Wed May 18, 2005 10:27 pm

I am with Mr. Moss on this one. I have had razors honed by the gurus at StraightRazorPlace, and while they are sharp and shave well, they are not as sharp as the Feather blades.

Thanks.

jim28277 · Post by **jim28277** » Tue May 24, 2005 11:40 am

Chris, anything further on the feather razor. Now that you have had this dandy new razor for 2 weeks or so, are you still as pleased with it as you originally reported? Any downsides to the feather experience. Does it still compare well to a regular staight shave?

drmoss_ca wrote:I'm still alive and have not exsanguinated. The Feather gave a nice comfortable and close shave - no nicks after three passes in the usual pattern. Nothing to be scared of here.
The razor itself is of pleasing heft, and well-balanced (wooden handle). It certainly looks different to other straights - rather modern, but nicely so. Construction seems to be first class, but since it has a spring inside to hold the two sides of the blade holder together I don't know about longevity. Probably no one has had one long enough yet to find out - this is only a potential weakness, and the thing may outlive me!
It shaves just like a very sharp straight; I did use a very light touch after reading the problems others have had, but I suspect any careful experienced straight shaver could use it without thinking about it too much. I think the shave itself was just as close as my best conventional straights, and perhaps a little more comfortable - only very slight tugging on the hairs as they cut during the cross-grain pass (a useful indicator of sharpness - any reasonably sharp straight will feel OK going downwards, but going across the grain lets you know immediately how well you have honed and stropped. I have never had a razor, honed by myself or anyone else, that didn't give some feedback here in the way of tugging on the hair: none have slid across the face with absolutely no sensation of hair being caught and cut, and I'm not sure I'd like it if they did. This is how I know I'm shaving, and it may vary according to hair quality from person to person. Oddly the last against the grain pass doesn't give this feedback - I guess there's not too much left to get in the way of the blade by that time!)
So an excellent shave, topped off this am with Skin Food and Eucris. I'll see as the day goes on if it lasts as well or better than a conventional straight. The jury is still out on whether this easy way of getting an excellent straight shave is worth giving up on the hones and strops.

Chris

Joe Lerch · Post by **Joe Lerch** » Tue May 24, 2005 12:55 pm

Joel:

We haven't heard from you about the Feather for a long time.

Are you doing OK now, or did you accidentally do yourself in with this little demon?

I'm managing well with the Micarta. I only need to strop it when I shave. It seems to hold an edge quite well. I'm a little nervous about when I need to turn over the strop and use the pasted side.

karim0028 · Post by **karim0028** » Tue May 24, 2005 1:39 pm

I love my feather, best shaves....

Its's even cleared my face from some tiny bit of acne that i get (shaving is the best exfoliant)....

Chris, it seems that the grass is always greener on the other side

Now, its too easy to get a good shave; you seem to be getting bored with the close, comfortable and effortless shave...

-Hytham