Feather blades. Why all the hype?

[Chefbaze]

Im fairly new to de shaving. Its been less thank a month. I have a very coarse beard (used to change m3 carts every shave).
I immediately asked for the sharpest available blades knowing my beard type, and they gave me feathers, kai, and bolzanos. They all work equally great for me with the bolzanos being slight less sharp but somehow more comfortable. My question is, arent the sharpest blades possible what were after when were shaving? I mean even with a straight razor, or an exposed de razor, its pretty hard to cut yourself if the blade is perpendicular to your skin surface regardless of angle. You really have to try hard to cut yourself unless using a slicing action. I dont know maybe its just me, but I was reading about the feathers before I bought them.and was almost expecting to be needing a skin graft after using one. Obviously there are instances with skin growths and pimples, bumps and what not that we would have to navigate delicately around, but thats true for even the dullest of razor blades. I guess Im just not understanding the fear of sharp blades. I even see posts where people are concerned about cutting themselves changing blades and not liking 3 piece heads for that reason. Again, I dont get it. Unless you slide your finger across the blade youre not getting cut.....

P.S.
Been on this.forum for.about 8 or 9 days and thank you guys for all the useful info, and fun.
I actually ordered a new ej de89 on reccomendation from you guys.

[Go West Young Man]

Sharpness is only one factor with blades - you can also measure them by smoothness, forgiveness, longetivity, etc etc.
Feathers are ridiculously sharp, but not very forgiving or smooth and generally don't last very long. It's all about what works best for your face.

[guitardustin]

I've been asking myself the same question. I've worked my way through a couple sampler packs now and can honestly say I haven't found a blade I hate by any means. There are definitely ones that offer a little more comfort and sharpness, but I can't say that when I tried a feather I had an enlightening moment or anything. Maybe I was just scared of cutting myself after reading about how sharp there are on here

[Chefbaze]

Yep. Agreed. I guess my point is. All blades are sharp enough to do damage if handled foolishly. But to shave with, theyre nothing
To fear. I swear I was expecting the feather to slice me to shreds, then logic set in and I was relieved. The feathers do do a great job on my coarse beard however.....

[Alaskan Snowmonkey]

They are nice sharp blades. I like 'em. Please forgive your shave brothers for all the hype. I will forgive my fellow shave brother for all the MdC hype and the guys hanging in the Frag forum for the Guerlain Vetiver hype, etc, etc, etc. Add a little YMMV at the end of each post and we're all covered, right?

[Chefbaze]

Gotcha. ymmv. Forgive me, im new here....

[Alaskan Snowmonkey]

Gotcha. ymmv. Forgive me, im new here....

No need to forgive, I completely understand what you are saying. I was freaked out to try the feathers from all the talk about how sharp they are... The "blood transfusion" "sliced to shreds" "not forgiving" and other comments. I wish I had tried them sooner and I started my wife on DE shaving with a fresh feather from day 1 and she thinks it's great.

Personally, I just think there is a lot of excitement when someone is talking about a great new product and it fuels the fire. The "hype" so to speak. There is hype on this forum and any other forum with so many products being discussed. I admit, most of the time it just adds fuel to my AD.

I agree, the point of a blade is that it is sharp. Sharp enough to slice and dice meat or shave your face without cuts and weepers if used correctly.

Enjoy the EJ D89. It is a nice razor.

All of this is of course.... YMMV.

[Chefbaze]

Thanks Alaskan. Yep just one month in and ive ordered my 2nd razor with the de89, have 5 tubs of sc(tobs lavender,truefitt sandalwd,gft coconut, proraso, aos sandalwd) tweezerman brush(starter), just got simpson brush,...etc etc. all from reading the hype...i started with a merkur 23c, the tweezerman,a 10 pack of feathers and proraso...now the disease got me, and im nonstop buying shaving stuff... Unbelieveable..
Ive turned into a shaving geek!

[Arthur]

Yep. Agreed. I guess my point is. All blades are sharp enough to do damage if handled foolishly. But to shave with, theyre nothing
To fear. I swear I was expecting the feather to slice me to shreds, then logic set in and I was relieved. The feathers do do a great job on my coarse beard however.....

They definitely do a great job on my coarse beard too. In my R41 they give me the closest shave I've ever had. Unfortunately with that closeness comes a whole lot of irritation and I find I nick myself a little more. They're just not nearly forgiving enough for me, but then again I have really sensitive skin.

As far as the hype goes, feathers are phenomenally sharp. As with anything else, though... YMMV.

[Alaskan Snowmonkey]

I have to say, I've been geekified for over a year now and still not stopping. Last week I received Castle Forbes Lavender, DRH Marlborough soap, Penhaligan's BB (yet to arrive), TOBS Jermyn St (very nice), many blades, new EJ Razor and 2 new brushes. I treated myself. The razor and one of the brushes was for my wife to get started. My goal is for her to help use the many soaps and creams, so I can keep buying more! (insert evil laugh here).

Yep, it is an addiction all right. It's got me too. AD. Sigh.

[GreekGuy]

Feather blades are the sharpest current production blade. I have really thick, coarse hair. For a lot of gents, this is a common problem, as a blade needs to be sharp to cut through stubble. There are 2 ways to make this easier. The first is a sharper blade, the second is a steeper angle with the blade being held sturdy.

A lot of people seem to think sharper = better. I personally find feathers over-rated and harsh on the first shave. After the first shave they deteriorate quickly, like most other blades. The sharpness comes at an expense, that being longevity. If they work well for you, thats fantastic. But for many people, myself included, there are plenty of much better options out there

[Mad Man]

For me feathers are like ultra low profile tyres on a sports car.

Performance at the cost of a comfortable ride.

Now that I'm well past my 40th birthday, have grown up and have no need to impress or chase skirt I'm happy to have a nice comfortable cruiser with a decent set of radials. No need to speed or corner or race.

YMMV of course.

[global_dev]

My question is, arent the sharpest blades possible what were after when were shaving? I mean even with a straight razor, or an exposed de razor, its pretty hard to cut yourself if the blade is perpendicular to your skin surface regardless of angle. You really have to try hard to cut yourself unless using a slicing action.

i remember quite easily cutting myself by just applying a sharp straight to my skin without even shaving yet, it resulted in fine red "lines" on my skin... straights are also not as sharp as feathers..

[Greyfox]

Have no idea. Highly overrated.

[ackvil]

Glad to see I am not the only "no fan" of Feather. I can only get two shaves from them. Sharp but not smooth.

[takeshi]

Feather blades. Why all the hype?

I dont know maybe its just me

Answered yourself. Never forget YMMV.

[Oscroft]

It's definitely not true that as long as you get the angle right you can't harm yourself with a razor blade.

A very sharp blade will generally shave closer, but as skin isn't a perfectly flat surface, it's always a compromise - the closer you try to get, the more you're risking taking off skin cells along with the hairs, from all those surface protruberances (under a microscope, skin looks more like the Rockies than the Bonneville flats).

How much of that people can tolerate is very much an individual thing. For some, a very close shave from a very sharp blade is fine, for others they get noticeable but acceptable irritation, while still others suffer severe razor burn.

For me, a Feather blade is fine (I have quite smooth and not especially sensitive skin), but they don't last very long - and there are others that are equally effective for me but which last a lot longer.

[ZJ68]

I believe a lot of the hype is from unwarranted fearmongering that the "ninja assassin sharp" Feathers should only be handled by certified experts. It's their reputation as dangerous that's responsible for much of the hype. Personally, I think they're great blades, and there's no reason to shy away from using them.

[Useless shaver]

Definitely a YMMV issue. I was a bit scared the first time I used them, now I wish I had done it before. Just a quantum of respect (as with any blade) and right technique.

Some guys find them harsh. I use them five times (!) on a regular basis and got a great shave, my skin feels smooth and comfortable and, which is more, I enjoy shaving. Definitely, YMMV.

[kingfisher]

I believe a lot of the hype is from unwarranted fearmongering that the "ninja assassin sharp" Feathers should only be handled by certified experts. It's their reputation as dangerous that's responsible for much of the hype. Personally, I think they're great blades, and there's no reason to shy away from using them.

+1. I love 'em. And remember, in Japan they're just razor blades. The other Japanese blade being a Kai, I guess Japanese DE shavers like sharp blades!