Moved from Merkur to Feather but need to move back. What am I doing wrong?

I was a late arrival to safety razors having gone from electric to twin blades, on to a bazillion blades then back to twin blades over the years. I've been using Merkur blades in a Merkur 33 for about a year, getting nice shaves. I've read that the Merkur blades may not be the best, but I've done OK with them.

A couple of months ago I moved to Feather, because they're way more common and cheaper here. Despite their reputation, I find it hard to get a shave as close as the Merkur blades. Moreover, I get razor burn. So: stubbly face (apparently not close enough), plus razor burn (apparently too close). Also, the blades don't seem to stay sharp more than 3 uses or so.

Today, I used a lot of shaving oil instead of my normal Nomad soap. I got a wonderful shave. Fast, too.

What's going on here? It must be the way I'm lathering up, yet I'm clearly lathering up well enough for Merkur blades. And does anyone routinely shave with oil? The result was spectacularly good.

Welcome to B&B!

I used to use nothing but oil and a sensor, but my beard aged and became too tough for that procedure. If you find that your lather is not softening the hair enough, try leaving it on your face for at least two minutes before you begin shaving.

For the blades, I would recommend investing in a blade sample pack. Everyone has a different experience.

Agreed. A sampler is always the best way to start your search for the perfect shave. I am neither a huge fan of Feathers nor Merkur blades - the feathers are indeed sharp, but not smooth at all for my face, especially on a new blade. The first two/three shaves with a Feather are like something from a Wes Craven film. The Merkurs are middle-of-the-road for me in every aspect but price.

Try as many different blades as you possibly can. There's no one blade that we can all agree is fantastic, and that's part of the fun of these boards. Friendly debate over whether the consistency of a RedIP makes it better than the sheer aggression of a Feather/Bluebird (it does, by the way), or if there really is a noticeable difference between Shark SS and SP make for some great ways to build and share knowledge.

Try a bunch of online vendors for the best variety in your search. Buy from different nations to get vastly differing blades in your sample packs. They're not too expensive (most places charge only a nominal fee for postage if you're only buying blades) and you'll have a lot of fun trying each one.

I agree ... I found a sample pack of blades on Amazon about a year ago. It took me forever to work through it but by the time I was finished, I had found several blades that gave me consistently close and comfortable shaves. I finally settled on the Shark. Good luck!

Welcome Aboard.. The feather blade is not for everyone. I can shave with them, but I don't really like them. I have found the it cuts the hair differently and when my stubble comes through it feels irritated. Anyway, I suggest that you get a blade sampler pack.

I went to Feathers early into wetshaving and had a miserable experience. Bad burn and irritation. Went back to various other blades. After a while, I tried another Feather and had a great shave. I've used them exclusively since. Not sure what the difference was but I'm guessing it was technique. So, take a break from the Feathers for now and if the mood strikes you down the road, try Feathers again...but do what works for YOU!

The important thing is to enjoy every shave!

Welcome,

I have found working with the men sorting out shaving issues, that when you get a better shave with oil than your lather, then the lather is suspect.

C&E soap (nomad) under perfect conditions is marginal at best in my experience. I would offer the thought that you try a top tier soap or cream before you go on a blade hunt. Make sure you are getting a great lather before changing anything else. How is your water? Hard?

There are hacksaws and there are Katana's in the world of blades, I think it is just a matter of working through whats available until you hit that sweet one that works best for you.