Feather DX Japanese style arrived today...

[Y2K]

I am told it was hand forged by Takahashi Kazumi.

I believe it comes from the same workshop as the razors sold at this page:
http://oldschoolshaving.net/Kanetake_size_1.html
The mark looks similar, though it's hard to tell since my picture pixelates when zoomed in.

Apparently he's the father of Takahashi Norikazu as mentioned in this interview from the same site:
http://oldschoolshaving.net/Interview_with_Takahashi_Norikazu.html

So this would make it a Kanetake kamisori (though it wouldn't confirm whether it was made by Norikazu or Kazumi), and I won't really know if it is a Kanetake until I receive it and take a close look at the mark.

If it is Kanetake, then it's a very nice kamisori, but apparently a notch under the Iwasaki kamisori which has the reputation of being the high end razor in Japan.

Wow!! Sounds really interesting. Do you also own a HATTORI HANZO sword?

 

[pelicano]

Wow!! Sounds really interesting. Do you also own a HATTORI HANZO sword?

LOL, no but I've been obsessively watching Japanese movies since I was 15.
Just look at that composition!
Makes me want to shave like these guys.

 

[Y2K]

Well, I finally decided to let my Feather out of the closet after going back to DE for a few days. I loaded a new blade in it, lathered up, and gave it a go. Right off the bat, I noticed that it is going well. Had a great first pass with very good results. Started feeling good about it, re-lathered, and went for a second pass. Was thinking "see, this puppy is not that scarry after all!"... just as I parked the corner of the blade in my right cheek ... ouch... I guess I deserved it. Never loose respect for a sharp blade.

Besides that, second pass went very well and gave me a close enough shave. Did not get any irritation. Little steps... little steps

 

[pelicano]

Well, I finally decided to let my Feather out of the closet after going back to DE for a few days. I loaded a new blade in it, lathered up, and gave it a go. Right off the bat, I noticed that it is going well. Had a great first pass with very good results. Started feeling good about it, re-lathered, and went for a second pass. Was thinking "see, this puppy is not that scarry after all!"... just as I parked the corner of the blade in my right cheek ... ouch... I guess I deserved it. Never loose respect for a sharp blade.

Besides that, second pass went very well and gave me a close enough shave. Did not get any irritation. Little steps... little steps

Glad it's getting better for you.
Nothing wrong with losing a little blood once in a while. Chicks dig the scars!

I've gotten so used to my DX, that I'm having a hard time with traditional st8s now. They feel too light and flexible, which makes them weird for me.

 

[pelicano]

I've gotten so used to my DX, that I'm having a hard time with traditional st8s now. They feel too light and flexible, which makes them weird for me.

Scratch that. Today I checked technique: angle + more decisive strokes and got a DFS with 2 WTG + 1 XTG.

Negligible burn, no cuts!

I'm liking this full hollow business.

 

[Y2K]

Scratch that. Today I checked technique: angle + more decisive strokes and got a DFS with 2 WTG + 1 XTG.

Negligible burn, no cuts!

I'm liking this full hollow business.

Glad to hear that! In case if you go "pure" straight and want to sell your DX - let me know

It's been a few weeks and I have completely converted from DE to my Feather. The RAD already kicked in, so I have KAI Captain stainless steel folding on the way to compare it to my RG. I am now consistently getting excellent shaves with my RG with no cuts or nicks and loving the experience. It takes me almost the same time as DE shave now. I still need to work on different holds and I am not as comfortable yet shaving with my non-dominant left hand than with my right, but I am almost there. I have now used both - Feather Pro and KAI Pro blades in it. They are completely interchangable and KAI blade seems to be a little less sharp I think, but pretty smooth and I like it. Feather blade seem to last me about 6 shaves or so before it starts pulling just a bit. I am on my first KAI blade at this point so I don't know the longevity of this one yet.

 

[pelicano]

Glad to hear that! In case if you go "pure" straight and want to sell your DX - let me know

I might actually take you up on that.
I haven't used the Feather for a bit now. I'll be traveling from this Wednesday until April 8. I want to see how I do with the straights while away. If it doesn't work out, I'll keep the Feather as a travel razor.

I sent out the Kamisori to get honed. It wont be back until I return. I'm very curious about it. Some pretty big differences in technique from what I've read.
Anyway, these babies arrived today.
I'm sending the Boker with the ivory tang to be restored tomorrow. The other is a shave ready Zak Solingen. Had a lovely shave with it this morning. The third item is a Swaty hone.
This AD thing is nuts!

 

[outclass]

Is there any other companies out there that making blades for Feather AC ?
I'm thinking about ordering AC but I don't like the idea of having only one option for blades

Yeah , Feather are basically the kings of the DE blades , but as far as I understood from the reviews , their AC blades are YMMV

 

[Y2K]

Is there any other companies out there that making blades for Feather AC ?
I'm thinking about ordering AC but I don't like the idea of having only one option for blades

Yeah , Feather are basically the kings of the DE blades , but as far as I understood from the reviews , their AC blades are YMMV

The only other option is KAI blades, but I have not seen any vendor selling them. I picked up a pack from a member here and I actually like them. They seem to be pretty smooth. Unfortunately, the only place to get them seems to be eBay but one listing that I found lists them for 17.50 per pack of 20. At that price, I would rather get feathers from classic shaving because KAI is suppose to be cheaper.

 

[pelicano]

Is there any other companies out there that making blades for Feather AC ?
I'm thinking about ordering AC but I don't like the idea of having only one option for blades

Yeah , Feather are basically the kings of the DE blades , but as far as I understood from the reviews , their AC blades are YMMV

Feather has three options for AC blades. I have only tried the Supers, since they seem to have the best reviews here. They are also the thickest blade of the three, which sounded good for my face/beard type.
KAI makes AC compatible blades. They seem to be hard to get, since they don't export directly to the U.S.. I picked some up at BST a little while ago, but haven't tried them yet.

I'm not a big fan of Feather DE blades. I feel I can get better shaves from other, less expensive options. The AC is a completely different monster. It shaves like a hot knife through butter. Someone mentioned once that it's a boring shaver. I might agree with that. It pretty much shaves by itself. Your job is basically avoiding getting cut.
It is definitely a very good shaver, but like you said, as with everything, YMMV.

 

[ALL HANDS WORKING]

I am using the guarded blades in my Feather AC till I get the hang of it. Unfortunately, my face has been so sliced up from my first attempt with a Dovo Shaved, that I have switched back to DE for a while. Once I heal, I will try to get the technique nailed down, the one time I used the Feather, it seemed to be more comfortable than the Dov.

 

[outclass]

Thanks for the replies Y2K & pelicano

Does KAI DE\AC blades made by the same KAI who makes the Kershaw\Shun knife blades ? or are they different companies ?

 

[Kevan]

A bit off topic, but do the Feather Pro-Guard blades that are available for these things actually help or are they just as non-forgiving as the others?

 

[pelicano]

A bit off topic, but do the Feather Pro-Guard blades that are available for these things actually help or are they just as non-forgiving as the others?

I haven't tried the guarded blades. From what I've read around the forum, they are OK, though not the people's favorite. Most praise the Super Pros for giving a smooth shave. I get a DFS out of 2xWTG passes.
Sharp as hell though! Very unforgiving, so be ready to lose a little blood for the cause!

 

[ALL HANDS WORKING]

I haven't tried the guarded blades. From what I've read around the forum, they are OK, though not the people's favorite. Most praise the Super Pros for giving a smooth shave. I get a DFS out of 2xWTG passes.
Sharp as hell though! Very unforgiving, so be ready to lose a little blood for the cause!

They have caused me a lot less bleeding in the Feather than the Personna blades on the Dovo.

 

[Y2K]

I might actually take you up on that.
I haven't used the Feather for a bit now. I'll be traveling from this Wednesday until April 8. I want to see how I do with the straights while away. If it doesn't work out, I'll keep the Feather as a travel razor.

I sent out the Kamisori to get honed. It wont be back until I return. I'm very curious about it. Some pretty big differences in technique from what I've read.
Anyway, these babies arrived today.
I'm sending the Boker with the ivory tang to be restored tomorrow. The other is a shave ready Zak Solingen. Had a lovely shave with it this morning. The third item is a Swaty hone.
This AD thing is nuts!

These are some beatiful razors. But I think I found my nirvana with Feather AC for now. Let me know if you want to unload your DX since I would be interested in adding it to my arsenal at some point.

A bit off topic, but do the Feather Pro-Guard blades that are available for these things actually help or are they just as non-forgiving as the others?

I have never tried those yet for several reasons: 1) The Feather Pros that I am using now are great for me after I have gotten over the learning curve and it only took me a few weeks to get to a comfortable and blood-free shave; 2) Pro-Guards cost more and you get less blades. Also, now when I had a chance to use a KAI blade a little longer, I must say that I am not sure I like them as well as Feather. I seem to nick myself in places where I have no issues whatsoever with Feathers. It is not good to judge a blade by a single sample and only a few shaves, so I still want to use them a bit more before I stick to one or the other. I also want to try Feather Supers since I have not tried them yet.

For DE - Feathers are my favorite blades hands down.

 

[pelicano]

It seems that once you go "Pro Super", you never go back.

These are some beatiful razors. But I think I found my nirvana with Feather AC for now. Let me know if you want to unload your DX since I would be interested in adding it to my arsenal at some point.

I have never tried those yet for several reasons: 1) The Feather Pros that I am using now are great for me after I have gotten over the learning curve and it only took me a few weeks to get to a comfortable and blood-free shave; 2) Pro-Guards cost more and you get less blades. Also, now when I had a chance to use a KAI blade a little longer, I must say that I am not sure I like them as well as Feather. I seem to nick myself in places where I have no issues whatsoever with Feathers. It is not good to judge a blade by a single sample and only a few shaves, so I still want to use them a bit more before I stick to one or the other. I also want to try Feather Supers since I have not tried them yet.

For DE - Feathers are my favorite blades hands down.

 

[Y2K]

It seems that once you go "Pro Super", you never go back.

Trust me, this is next on my list to try I just don't want to jump from one blade to another while I am still working on some angles.

One thing that worries me a bit is that classic shaving seems to be the only vendor that carries the blades. I wonder what happens if they stop... I have seen them once or twice on the bay but is there another stable source for the blades, just in case?

EDIT: Never mind my question above... I should start using Google more often...

 

[ALL HANDS WORKING]

West Coast Shaving also carries the blades.

 

[Y2K]

West Coast Shaving also carries the blades.

Thanks! I guess I never noticed. I feel safe now