Qualitative Blade Testing

[StraightRazorRookie]

I've been slowly working my way thru a bundle of blades Squire sent me about a year ago (my bad, I know, but that's a separate issue). Slowly because I only shave once or twice a week (blasphemous of course, but SWMBO likes the stubble), and I alternate between my 1961 Super Speed and a 1940's Tech.

Well, I've gone thru Wilkinsons, Derbys, 7 O'clocks, and... well... I was feeling a little like I had a two digit IQ or something. Could really never tell the difference between blade brands - although thankfully I could distiguish between the two razors loaded with the same blade.

Finishing up a brace of 7 O'Clocks, I reached into backstock for the next candidate.

"What came to the top of the pile?" you ask?

Ya, yoo-betcha... the Feathers.

Loaded one in each razor and had at it with the SS.

"Holy S#**, Batman!!!"

Weepers galore from zero pressure. Irregular shave - caused mostly by the shock of the operator, I'm sure. Most of all, a strong regret that I hadn't chosen the milder Tech for the first test drive.

[Steve-o]

Dunno as the Tech would have made a difference ... the Feathers are SHARP!

However, I will note that I (foolishly) started my daily single-blade-shaving days with a sampler pack and that I inadvertantly ended up battling changes in blade performance with learning proper technique. (Yeah, I am going somewhere with this!) It wasn't until I settled in to one brand of blade (and one of two similar razors) that my technique improved, and, once it did, revisiting even blades I didn't like before (*cough* Merkur *cough*) became an experience I could appreciate.

If you're shaving only a couple of times a week, it will take you 2-3 times longer to get the experience gained by a daily shaver. Switching blades like that makes it that much harder, IMHO. By the time you get your technique down, you may learn that you really like Feathers.

[KAV]

Honorable Ed-san,
Thankyou for kind praises near Feather product.What a happy consumer you will be cutting with Feather blade daily! Our R&D team shown in fuji film for colour truthfullness strive generously to achieve industry lead.
We match old swordmaster test of cutting condemned prisoners in half with one swipe and will to match two and even legendary three with continued research.

Truly yours,
Isoroko Yammamoto III

[StraightRazorRookie]

Geez KAV... do you have to respond to me about Fuji film and color truthfulness the day after the last roll of Kodachrome on the planet was processed in a little cowtown in southeastern Kansas??? (Dwayne's... Bless 'em)

I'M HURTIN' MAN!

ok... sorry... whew!

Yeah, I think I'll like the Feathers. I was just surprised at the difference.

Steve, technique? That could be part of it. I've been blade shavin' for 40+ years, but only about 14 months with DEs. Odd that I've found the needed technique to be so different than ye olde Mach IIIs.

I go back to the Mach III every once in a while 'cause I still have a bunch from when I came back from the dark side. My technique instantly reverts to what I used to do.

As I say... odd.

[KAV]

No more kodacrome
No more silver dimes
No more phone booths
No more PLAYBOY staples
EYTALIAN handguns in 9mm instead of COLTS throwing garbage cans
Car bodies made at the plastic milk jug factory
Girls enhanced at the milk jug factory
Improved digital teevee so we can see SURVIVOR # 189 instead of Red
Skelton
decriminalised marijuana but the SWAT team will take out an old man smoking in public
Lady Ga Ga receives her grammy from Cher and niether one could hit one note in la Boheme to save their scrawny buts.
Men the but of ridicule in advertising

I need to go shave again.

[StraightRazorRookie]

yeah....

[gil3591]

you need to put the mach 3 away for a long time. i don't see how you can learn a de while using a cartridge now and then. load the tech with the feather and stick with it. the tech and a feather are a very good match

[Shave4Fun]

you need to put the mach 3 away for a long time. i don't see how you can learn a de while using a cartridge now and then. load the tech with the feather and stick with it. the tech and a feather are a very good match

1+ on the Feather and Tech. Did you happen to pick up a blue tip Super-Speed in your antiques haul? They're good with Feathers too.

Roger

[StraightRazorRookie]

No blue-tips in the current collection. I'm on the lookout however, for both blue- and red-tips - and frankly anything else (Gillette at least) in any kind of restorable shape.

[Trumperman]

Ed,

Shoot me a PM and I launch a Blue Tip your way.


Regards,

Bill

[bernards66]

Ed, My condolences ( chuckle ). It's pretty widely accepted here that those Feather DE blades are not only very sharp but they are also somewhat....er...peculiar, or if you prefer, 'unique'. They seem to have a grind and hone geometry that is significently different from practically all other blades. While they are very effective ( at least for the first few shaves ) a fair number of shavers, even some very experianced ones, can not use them successfully. Myself for one. While I never got any weepers from them ( although I might have if I'd continue to use them daily ) I did get some irritation every time I tried them and regardless of what razor I used. I've experimented with them numerous times and the result was always the same. And, I am not alone in this. For some, Feathers seem to be the end all of DE blades whilst for others they are pretty much unuseable. Perhaps your technique is to blame for you recent experiance...but perhaps not.
Regards,
Gordon

[StraightRazorRookie]

He heh... Thanks Gordon.

The weepers I got were in an odd place - for me. Right over the jugular (or is it corotid on the right side). That's an easy location for me to shave, and I rarely have trouble there.

I think it was a combination of a new blade in the razor and me not fully respecting that it was the notorious Feather that I'd installed.

I tend to push blades a little longer than I should, and so of course technique changes a bit as the blade ages. So I generally know I need to pay attention when I install a fresh one. Just didn't this time.

At any rate, with my test engineering background I'm approaching this whole DE shaving experience (with the abundance of gear and disposables) as a parametric test. Right now I'm testing the same blade brand in two different razors - the 1960's SS and the Tech.

Next batch of tests will be to horse-race two or three different blade brands in (hopefully) identical Super Speeds.

[fisherprice]

I agree that the Feathers tend to get *meaner* as they dull-- instead of just catching and pulling like most blades, they'll catch and pull and hurt by scraping or cutting.

The internal jugular vein usually lies on top of and slightly to the outside (towards the shoulder) of the carotid artery. If you open that, just hold pressure for 15 or so minutes. If you slice into your carotid, get to the ER... heh.

[StraightRazorRookie]

More on my experience with the notorious Feathers:

Shaved yesterday with a brand new Feather blade in my trusty Gold Tech (ball end, of course).

Pleaseant surprise, no blood, and quite a nice shave. Not quite BBS, but I think that was due to inexperience with the blade and brow-sweating fear that my neck arteries were in danger.

Next - back to the '60s SS for another try.

[m3m0ryleak]

I survived Feather blades without any bloodletting (a small miracle) , but after two blades in succession, my face took on a near dayglo pink tone that no amount of cold water, after shave or balm could remove. A sharp blade to be sure, whiskers jump out of its way, but it was not kind to my top dermal layer. Anybody want to trade for eight tiny samurai blades?

[alcx77]

Feathers do need a light touch!

Alan

[StraightRazorRookie]

Shaved yesterday with a Feather loaded into the Blue Tip from Bill Extraordinaire.

(Is that really his last name? If not, it should be - the man is generosity itself. The razor was a birthday razor for me.)

I gotta admit, the first shave led me to think that the Feather-Blue Tip combo is a team to be reckoned with.

[Pauldog]

If you have a slant bar razor, it's known to work well in that, too. Or experiment with different adjustable razor settings, starting low.

[brothers]

The last couple of months I was alternating razors and blades as usual, there were I think, one or two of the razors loaded with feathers. Everything was running smoothly until about shave 5 or 6 with each razor/blade. Then one day it was that same old feelilng, one of the blades had just gone Tango Uniform. When that happpened, I said to myself, well, that must have been a Feather. I did smile when I finished and opened up the razor. Yes, a Feather. I wasn't surprised, but I do want to give credit to that blade for having provided nice smooth shaves consistently right up to the bitter end.