Initial Review of the Feather AS-D1 Stainless Steel Razor

Initial Review of the Feather AS-D1 Stainless Steel Razor

Before I start this review I would like to make a disclaimer:

This review is based on my personal opinion and experience with this razor. It is not meant to be a testament of the how this razor will perform for you.

In the past when I have given negative reviews to a razor some owners of those brands have become outraged, others stopped being friends with me. I think that has more to do with the character of those people as individuals, but that is a discussion for another place and another time.

People need to realize that no two faces are alike. Not everyone has the same experience with a highly touted product.

So a word of warning, if you own a a Feather AS-D1 and think that it is the cat's meow you may not want to read this review, especially it we are friends.

Pros: Almost perfectly balanced. Beautiful fit and finish. Great presentation.
Cons: High price. Ineffective shaver for anyone with a normal to course beard. It may work fine for those with fine beards and light growth.
Price: 2
Quality: 10
User Friendly: 10
Grip: 10
Ease of Blade Replacement: 10
Aggressiveness: 1
Adjustability: N/A
Balance:9
Overall Rating: 2.5
Would I recommend: No

The craftsmanship, presentation and quality of the Feather far exceeds any other Stainless Steel razor that I have used. It is in a league of it's own. It far exceeds the quality of any Traderer or iKon that I have used.

This is a mild razor, The Feather AS-D1 makes the Tech feel like a Fatboy set to 9 in comparison.

I have spent countless hours reading everything I can about this razor and watching videos on YouTube. Studying proper angle, technique and the experience of the Feather enthusiast.

One of the largest drawbacks to me is the amount of time it takes for me to shave with it. My average time spent while using it is about 35 minutes. That is a long time to spend shaving by any standards, and that does not include any time spent on the prep work.

Another drawback is how quickly my whiskers grow back. On the average, within three hours after my shave I have as much stubble that I normally would within 12 hours. The morning after using the Feather I had what was equivalent to at least 36 hours of growth on my face.

I know that there is a huge learning curve to find that perfect blade angle with this razor, so I am not throwing in the towel soon. For me this is a frustrating razor to own, I hope that I can master it.

Will this razor work for you? Maybe. Pushing 49 with a very thick, fast growing wiry beard it does not seem to work for me. Maybe if you have very fine hair, slight beard growth, or normally only shave every other day it may work for you.

I usually shave twice per day, so this razor is going to take a lot of work to fit into my rotation, and it may never.

I don't need something pretty to look at, I need a shaving tool that performs as I expect when I use it in the morning.

 

It is a fine looking razor, only enhanced by that case. I only have 2 modern razors in my Arsenal EJ89L and R-41. they serve me well, but I would be lying if I said I had not been tempted by the new breed of high end DE razors if not for looks alone.
Im sure you would get a large chunk of your cash back, if you resold it, maybe the R-41 would be a better option for you (unless you have one already that is)

 

Your "friend" quit talking to you ?? Wow that is kinda strange!
At any rate other reviews I've read on the "Feather AS-D1" have all been pretty much like yours. If "LOOKS" could shave it would be a "GREAT" razor. I do like the looks of the handle, but not for the price. I'm waiting for the new batch of Webers to come out as the shave is supposed to be much better than the "Feather" and the price is much more affordable. Have you tried putting some shims under the blade?

 

I'm surprised you didn't give the price a 1 Great review though, it basically solidifies everything I've read about the AS-D1 and while it's craftsmanship is second to none, I don't think I like the idea of a razor that you *MUST* use the perfect angle for every stroke or you're doing nothing but moving cream around.

 

Man, I'll start out by saying this: people are too thin skinned nowadays. You're a marine, you know how to take adversity and people who disagree; that's no reflection on you how they react to a negative review. If they can't take negative words, they shouldn't be on the computer or leave their house.

Now for the razor, that thing is stainless steel beauty. I'm sure a razor like that would be good for my face as my facial hair on my cheeks isn't fast growing or very thick. I could have 5 days growth and it would look like what most of you guys grow in a day or two. I don't know if you are familiar with Geofatboy on Youtube, but he did a review on this razor once. Maybe watching that review might help you.

 

I love reading reviews. This was a good one. I'm curious how a razor this mild would pair up with a very sharp blade - like the Feather blade?

 

The plus side of this razor - It's resale value. You will easily get 90%+ of your money back selling it, if you don't like it.

 

All that I have used in it so far have been Feathers. Tomorrow I am going to try with a Polsilver SI and a shim.

 

What a difference a new blade and a shim can make. Although I did not get a BBS from the AS-D1 today, I did get a damn fine shave. The Polsilver SI seems to be a much better match for this razor than the Feather, which I must say surprised me. I would have thought being a Feather Razor that a Feather blade would work best.

The addition of one shim also made a difference in the gap, making it shave much more like a Tech. This may be the way that I have to use this razor, and if that is the case, I am okay with that. It is not a big deal to add a shim, as we all have plenty of used blades.

My face is BBS smooth, while the area from my jawline down is about 80% smooth, while the rest is DFS. The real test will be to see how long my face remains this way for, as previously I had major stubble within a few hours.

Will follow-up later in the day and once I get home, but I must say that I am happy with today's results.

 

Well I can say that after 6 hours or so after my shave this morning that I still have a DFS. So the shim and switching blades from the Feather to a Polsilver SI made a world of difference.

 

I would try the Feather blade with the shim as well. You might be surprised.

 

Nooooo! Tell me it's junk please! I can't afford one of these so I need to learn to hate it lol

 

Humans are a weird species. I felt like I had called their baby ugly or something. I had even PM the person and asked why they had unfriended me. Their response was because of my negative review of the Streamline. Wow, what are we in kindergarten?

I tried the shim today and it worked great!

I actually had a review of a razor removed from another forum (one reason I rarely post there) and was told that if I did not have anything good to say about a product, I should not saying anything at all. Really? I mean come on, isn't part of being a member of a shaving community is sharing our experiences with products?

I have bought maybe 50 razors since I returned back to classic shaving. I like to share my experience with products. i won't sugar coat something just because it is a hyped up brand or expensive. Heck, two of my favorite razors are Cadets that cost less than $25 each, two of my favorite creams ate Derby and Arko at under $2 per tube.

But the moment someone tells me that I cannot voice my opinion about a product...I lose all respect from them. No one can tell me what to think.

I will be trying that soon. After the Polsilver SI I am going to try the Voskhod blades that Bruce PIF'd me, then back to a Feather, as they are one of my favorite blades. I will probably do two more shave with this blade, use an open comb for three days, then round three with the AS-D1.

Okay Justin, it is junk, you would hate it.

It really is a very well balanced and well made razor. I do think that Feather should increase the blade gap, but if adding a shim does the trick, that is an easy enough fix for me. I can report that after 11 hours, I still have a DFS, so I am very pleased with today's results.

 

Dude talk about effed up. That guy sounds like a douche rocket. I honestly don't know how I would handle that, my reaction changes each time.

 

How does one use a shim in a DE?

 

Whoooo hold on a minute!! I didn't realize you talked "BAD" about an ER Streamline?!? Well that changes everything.... & ..............Well I don't like Feather blades so there.................I know Azarius gets it, but just to be clear everybody I am JOKING..

I agree if we all HAVE to LIKE the same razor, blades, soaps,etc. then we might as well just shave with whatever cart Gillette tells us to use and just call it another boring day!! Life is way too short not to have an opinion!!! My favorite brush is my Turkish Horse #6!! Since I started using it I have no interest in bagger or boar. Even had a friend rehandle my knot instead of reknotting my handle.
It isn't my obligation to LIKE any product its the products obligation to PLEASE me!!

I'm glad the shim worked out well for you. I've used them since I first read about them and I really like the way you can change a 3 piece's shave with them.

 

First you have to make the shim. You just cut or grind off the bevel edge of an old blade or two or three. Then you just put how ever many you want "under" your blade. Best to start with one and work your way up as you feel the need. I really like that the shim adds some adjustment and another variable to fine tune your shave with. In my experience the shim only works correctly with a 3 piece and probably a 2 piece. When I tried one on my Aristocrat TTO it jammed the doors up!

 

Today I removed the shim from the AS-D1 and was able to get a good shave!!! Even on shave number three with the SI the razor had done a fine job on stubble reduction.

For me the formula that seems to work is two passes on face, three on neck, and buffing in my usual trouble areas. That is not much different than my normal routine, except for the buffing with the AS-D1 does not make my neck or jawline feel raw.

 

It's funny there have been measurements taken of the AS-D1's blade gap etc and the razor's aggression dimensions have been found to be slightly larger than the Tech. So I wonder if like many unfamiliar razors, this just isn't another case of needing to get used to it...

 

I must say that it's the best looking of the new stainless razors being offered.