thats cool..i have been dialing in my flat bottom techs lately as i normally shave with ss /rockets .it would take an extra pass for me to get a dfs shave with these techs.,while it still takes 3 passes, the shave is top notch with zero issues..the flat bottom is similar technology to your razor ,only from the 40s.mild is good..these are also great daily drivers as well..
Good advice, and as I've said before, my most used razors are my Gillette 1940's super speeds and my Aristocrat '46-'47 or '48 - '50 models. I'll slip my New Improved in there just for variety and a damned close shave as well..
I purchased the AS-D2 for my return to wet shaving after 40 years of multi-blade razors, electric razors and so-so shaving. Far from any expert, I did some reading before buying and the Feather had very good reviews. I've had it six weeks now and from the very first shave I asked myself why did I wait so long? My early memories of my first DE razor, irritating, daily cuts and shaving as a "chore" were wiped away. I had no idea shaving could be so pleasurable. Of course as a bit of an obsessive I'm ordering soaps and stuff to experiment with. Glad too I found this forum for guidance, and hopefully too, restraint.
Welcome, but...you came here looking for RESTRAINT? I'm afraid it's in very short supply. You're much more likely to pick up a severe dose of RAS/BAS/SAS etc. (Razor Acquisition Syndrome, Brush Acquisition Syndrome, Soap Acquisition Syndrome!
The AS-D2 is a great, well-crafted razor. Really, the only knock on it is that its so darned mild that if you arent able to keep it at a very precise angle, you may not be able to get a close shave with it. Thats the case with any mild razor though.
Maybe beginner's luck, surely not experience, but I'm getting a very close shave and can't say enough good things about how it feels and the results.
What you said is pretty much my 'new favorite' way to shave. I can't begin to tell you all the time I spent watching guys shaving on youtube and what they were shaving with. Trying a straight was tempting but I WAS AFRAID I'd have cut my throat. I'm past 75 and with a steady hand but once in a while those """flinches""" might end my days. I believe the use of soaps and brushes, alum blocks and witch hazel were the game changers for me. I don't leave home without them.. And it's true, there are lots of helpful gents on this he'ya site.
Threw a Gillette Platinum in my Feather AS D2 and? It shaves better than a Feather. Would I kid you? Threw that same blade in my '62 Slim and it's still shave'n steady. This is probably the best blade in the whole wide world.
I picked up a new AS-D2 a few weeks ago. This has to be the best razor in my collection right now. I didn't have any issues finding the angle. In fact, it shaved well both shallow and steep, so I'm not sure why I've read so much about its "narrow" angle range. Its my only high-end razor in terms of cost -- meaning a razor that retails new for $100+. I have many vintage Gillettes -- almost every U.S. made head-type with the exception of a few of the rarer OCs (Goodwill, New Improved, etc.). It is mild for me since it does not give me any irritation. I found it extremely efficient, though. I've also used it with the Gillette Plat pictured above. My only nitpick is the "Feather" name on the top cap -- it makes it look like a cheap giveaway razor -- like companies that hand out pens with their names on it. No razor in my collection has given me a better shave -- though some perhaps have equaled it (e.g. vintage Gillettes). When taking into account build quality and materials, though, this is definitely my top razor.
I was just reading elsewhere someone trying to claim that the head of the AS-D2 was zamac! I nearly had a heart attack. Someone else then said he was nuts. Unbelievable!
Oh yea, no doubt. That's what I like about this particular forum -- no people spewing BS that is flat-out not true. A $200+ razor made out of stainless steel, and someone has the gall to tell people the head is actually zamac? Come on!
Aha, now I get it. I shaved with my Feather AS-D2 today after well over a month. I'm not as impressed as before. I've been shaving for over a month with a Green Cult 1.1. I like the GC better. Now, I hate to come to a conclusion after one shave after a long break with it, so I will give the AS-D2 more of a chance. What I "get" is why people say the angle is hard to find, and that it is not efficient. I needed to add a 3rd pass after I had settled into a satisfactory 2 pass shave with minimal touch-ups with the Green Cult. I think it really boils down to technique for a particular razor. Only time will tell.
