Guys, contact me and I'm sure we can work it out if you don't mind waiting.
Thanks Bill
Guys, contact me and I'm sure we can work it out if you don't mind waiting.
I should add that the satin finish is not very forgiving, it shows fingerprints quickly when clean and also minor scratches or scuffs will look worse than a chrome or nickle plated razor. In this area I was expecting the finish to be more resilient to scratching. Bill's specimen is already showing a couple very minor scratches, but I only noticed them because I'm very picky and pay attention to details.
EJ DE89L - smooth, comfortable, not the closest shaves.
Feather Portable - rough
Calling this thing smooth is a huge understatement. The razor just glides without effort and it is very efficient at removing whiskers.
The razor itself adds slickness; I guess it's the pear skin finish... I may waste one shave with it and use one of the blades I don't like. I suspect I won't be able to tell the difference.
Shaving like this is no fun, it makes it too easy. ..Same with this razor, I suspect that it can handle a poor blade or cream/soap very well.
This is a great design and I can't understand why Merkur and Muhle/EJ haven't done this yet.m just going to point out something that is new to me: the blade short edges are fully covered; I haven't seen this in any other DE razor I tried.
This is a great design and I can't understand why Merkur and Muhle/EJ haven't done this yet.
Shave #2 with the Feather razor (aka "The Lexus")
Setup:
- Iridium blade (on shave 2 or 3, I pulled it from another razor)
- JM Fraser's Original shaving cream (sample)
- Trumper's Coral Skin Food (sample)
The Lexus delivered again. A very smooth, close, comfortable shave. I used the JMF cream because that was included by Bill in the package. It's a good cream, though not as slick as Floris No. 89 which I used on the previous shave. I'm not a big fan of its lemony scent. It smells synthetic, like lemonade made from the powder packs as opposed to freshly squeezed lemons sweetened with honey. I'm grateful I had a chance to try it, but I don't see myself rushing to buy the full JMF jar. Back to the shave ... It felt different from my first shave with the new Feather blade. The razor sang louder than last time. It could be the cream, it could be the blade, it could be that the blade was on its 2nd or 3rd shave (I don't even remember). But that's where the difference ends, in the sound. The shave was excellent again, effortless. I'm impressed how efficient the razor is in even 1 pass. In a rush, I could see using a brushless cream, doing 1 pass with this razor and be done in 3 min. I almost didn't want to do a 2nd pass today, just to see what it's like. Many times I just do 1 pass with my Sensor, but that's a 2-blade cartridge so maybe it's the equivalent of 2 passes with a DE.
But guys, shaving like this is no fun! It's too easy. This is not a good razor for a beginner as they will never learn the technique (just let them struggle with the HD like I did!) and any other razor they will try after they will end up hating.
I have to point out one more thing I noticed: the head itself is pretty light, all the weight is in the handle, but that's OK. The razor is very well balanced, a pleasure to hold.
In other news, I just purchased my own "Lexus" off BST, that's how much I enjoy it. It's definitely a RAD (and budget) killer for a while. Now I have to start selling from my collection of razors, creams and soaps to repair the damage. The consolation is that it will still not be the most expensive shaving item I own due to buying it cheaper than retail new, that title is still held by my custom Shavemac D01 brush. And I joined B&B to save money on cartridges... never in my life I would have imagined spending this kind of cash on shaving items! But I enjoy it and that's what it's all about!
For those on the list waiting on the package, I will cut a few days and mail it to hypo_style on Wed 6/9. There's another razor in the box I'd like to try and a few samples Bill included that I just have to try, I'm a glutton for experimentation.
You're making this razor sound incredible! Would you say that it makes the Feather blade less aggressive?
I used a Feather blade a few times in my HD and EJ89, which ended up giving me tons of weepers and let me know I was putting on aftershave.
In the EJ89L I prefer the Feather blade as the razor is mild (and smooth).
I'm not sure the Feather razor makes the Feather blade less aggressive, I think it makes it very smooth and it protects you better. The razor seems to give you quite a bit of protection even if you rush through the shave, which I tried to do today.
I suspect this razor can make a crappy blade feel better than it really is. Now that I will have my own razor, I will try a shave with a Shogun blade, which I consider the worst blade I ever tried, after Derby and Bluebird. It will be interesting to see if I can use the plain stainless steel versions of some blades, the non Platinum or Chrome coated ones that is, as I usually find those sharp but rough - Wilkinson India comes to mind here. This razor doesn't seem to be the one to use if you want to judge the quality of a blade.
I just used a EJ89L with a feather blade and it was very mild , but a great shave, compared to the featherSS/feather, which was smoother and felt more sharp. I think the finish on the feather is more conducive to the smooth characteristic. i am going to throw a derby in the featherSS tomorrow.
I really like the Feather knurling as compared to the EJ lined. I never felt like i needed to dry off my hands between head "washing" like i did with the 89.
In my very small experience, the 89 felt like plush Cadillac Coupe de Ville and the feather felt more like an agile Bugatti Veyron.
I just used a EJ89L with a feather blade and it was very mild , but a great shave, compared to the featherSS/feather, which was smoother and felt more sharp. I think the finish on the feather is more conducive to the smooth characteristic. i am going to throw a derby in the featherSS tomorrow.
I really like the Feather knurling as compared to the EJ lined. I never felt like i needed to dry off my hands between head "washing" like i did with the 89.
In my very small experience, the 89 felt like plush Cadillac Coupe de Ville and the feather felt more like an agile Bugatti Veyron.