I traded razors with a gentleman on the board and he was nice enough to throw in a pack of Feather razor blades. I have been shaving for a while and this was my first opportunity to try them out. I get along well with just about everything from CVS pharmacy blades to Astra SP and Gillette sliver blues. I tried some KAI? When I first started and they were suppose to be very sharp. I think they were too much too fast for me. For the last couple weeks I have been trying the feathers in my DE89, a new and an adjustable. I have to say I am quite pleased with the shave it seems to take me three passes to do what I ca do with a dull razor but the lighter touch needed is offset by less irritation. I also noticed they loose their keen edge after about two shaves. I think I will go back to the Astra SPs for a bit and then pick up an KAI blade and revisit that brand. It's really being able to spend say $30 and having a dozen or more different kinds of blades to mix and match for a "new" experience. Throw in a few razors and you increase your experimentation by orders of magnitude.
I can't imagine using a blade that requires changing after two shaves, how extravagant. That does it for me, I will not spend the money on a blade that goes dull after that little time.
Thanks Luziana, At this point in my learning I have found that I can stretch a blade out to 7 days I have to adapt the way I shave to the edge by applying more pressure and causing more irritation. With just Changing the blade every 2-3 days I don't have to worry about changing technique. Once a week at 52 weeks is less than $10 a year for blades. Or I can spend $20 a year and not worry. Carts use to run me about $250 a year so I figure I am making out like a bandit.
Applying pressure is not the answer. Although you are using a very popular razor, it would appear that you have not found the right blade for YOUR beard. When you do, everything will fall into place. I should have added in my first post, though, that some beards are so thick and wiry that I could imagine that there are some shavers who would need to change the blade THREE times in one shave... one blade for the neck, and one blade each for the two sides of the face.
I can't get any blade past 4 shaves - the beard won't allow it! The Feather is one of 2 blades that will last that long - 3 good shaves and one acceptable shave. YMMV, as always.
Wow! I would imagine, then that you have a beard similar to this guy's in the video. In the course of his video he describes how blunt the Voskhod blade is. I decided that I would be extravagant and dispose of the perfectly good Israeli Personna in my own Merkur Progress, and try the Voskhod. The results are that at the #2.5 setting, this blade in this razor gives me a BBS shave to die for in just two passes. But the Feather blade is usually described as being very, very sharp. Since I have sensitive skin, I have been avoiding the Feathers. In any case, I can usually get as many as 7 or 8 shaves out of a blade before I notice any deterioration in it.
I learned that Feathers are not for me. At first shave I'll cut myself no matter what. Second shave is the best. Third shave is acceptable and at the fourth the tugging is horrible. I can find better blades that work for me and are less expensive.
I have had a few Feather blades in my inventory for the past 2-years and still haven't had the desire to use one. Right now I have over 15 brands (including the Feathers) to choose from. I prefer mild to medium shaves and like 7 o'clock Yellows in my '67 Slim Adjustable. Am I just fearing the Feather??..............
Probably - yes. The Feather is just another blade. Yes, it is sharp. No, it doesn't rear up and bite! Just use a light touch. That being said, not every razor likes the Feather, so it may feel rough in one razor and not in another. At the same time, it might, like any blade, just not be right for you and feel rough in any razor you use it in. And it might just reveal the true quality of some of the soaps you use… Cushion that is adequate for some blades may seem a little inadequate with a Feather.
I have been using Feather blades for a year now with no problems ( EJ 89, Merkur slant and utopia ) but I do have a heavy /coarse beard. I get 3 good 2 pass shaves per blade as opposed to Derby blades that on the 2nd shave start to pull. YMMV so you just need to keep trying to find the perfect combination.
I settled on Feather DE blades early on, and they work very well for me. I have what I consider to be a light beard and sensitive skin. I typically change blades after two shaves, but I could probably use them three or four times with no problems now that my skills have improved. I get consistently great shaves and never feel them tugging. I got a great deal on them by buying in bulk from Double Edge Shaving Place. Everyone is differrent! Hope this helps.
Ho Lee Cow My rule of thumb is 3 shaves on most DE blades. I've stretched as far as 5, but typically "pay" for stretching. I decided that extending blade life is low on my list of shaving priorities. Besides, since I have recently begun trying blades at the 100 pack level, I find I have several years worth of shaves at 3 per... and still have blades on my "must try" list!
It's not a matter of stretching it, in my case. Presently, I have more blades than I could use in the remainder of my life time, so it's not as if I'm being parsimonious. If I don't notice any of the tell tale symptoms of a worn blade, then there just doesn't seem to be any reason to dump the blade, IMO. For me, changing blades prematurely is a lot like having the oil changed in my car every 1000 miles. I admit that I have actually done something akin to that on occasion because I wanted to comply with the car's warranty, which also had a time factor to the maintenance schedule. If the manual says, "Every 5 months or 5000 miles," but I've driven the car less than half that in 5 months, I would have the oil changed anyway. Now that the car is out of warranty, I go by mileage solely, and may not have the car serviced for as much as a year between intervals.
