Problem with Feather blade

**heikster** · 06-21-2012, 11:22 AM

Hi !

I bought a 5 pack of Feather blades and have used one for about three times now. I have a very rough and stubborn beard (especially chin area) and even a feather blade seems to fail, it just isn`t smooth and it mostly tears my beard. Is there a blade out there for me ?

Thanks,

Heikki

**Chester** · 06-21-2012, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by heikster

Is there a blade out there for me?

Yes. Yes, there is. There are many to choose from and sample. Perhaps you might get a sample pack of 5-10 brands and see what works.
-- Chet

**SiBurning** · 06-21-2012, 11:52 AM

Technique is more important than the blade. Soak for a full 3 minutes with hot water, then leave the lather on and shave that area last, refreshing the lather if it starts to dry out. Use a slanted or diagonal stroke, or even a curve like the j-hook. Even a little sideways motion will make it easier to cut, and cut cleaner. Think of cutting a tomato or steak, only you don't want to push sideways more than a touch or you will cut your ~~steak~~ face. And go XTG in both direction before proceeding to ATG.

I'm not suggesting to stay with the Feather, but you need to use a pretty sharp blade, and change it frequently so that it remains really sharp.

**john187** · 06-21-2012, 08:17 PM

Swap the blade maybe one in one hundred is defective and maybe duller than it should be. Otherwise check your technique, feather is the sharpest of the sharp, so if you are feeling a tug, your not prepping your face properly. Take two minutes to work up a good lather on your face. Use hot hot water and wash your face first. With a decent lather and moderate prep your shave with feather should be soft as butter.

I don't always do the full diary of a madman ritual that everyone here prosthelitizes especially on weekdays, and I've gotten to the point where I shave pretty fast. I'm talking whole face in 20 seconds when I'm late. I never feel a thing - smooth as silk. Sometimes I'm baffled by how easy it is shaving with feather.

So my call is defective blade or defective lather, fix it!

**Porchswing** · 06-21-2012, 08:37 PM

I have a rough beard as well, especially the chin. I like Derby, Timor, and Wilkinson Sword better than Feather.

**VerbaVolant** · 06-21-2012, 08:44 PM

Originally Posted by SiBurning

Technique is more important than the blade. Soak for a full 3 minutes with hot water, then leave the lather on and shave that area last, refreshing the lather if it starts to dry out. Use a slanted or diagonal stroke, or even a curve like the j-hook. Even a little sideways motion will make it easier to cut, and cut cleaner. Think of cutting a tomato or steak, only you don't want to push sideways more than a touch or you will cut your ~~steak~~ face. And go XTG in both direction before proceeding to ATG.

I'm not suggesting to stay with the Feather, but you need to use a pretty sharp blade, and change it frequently so that it remains really sharp.

Excellent advice!

**DMT** · 06-22-2012, 07:48 AM

I'm with john187. That sounds sounds like a dud blade. The first time I tried a feather it cut through a couple of days growth like a hot knife through butter it was very smooth though I did get some mild irritation on a small patch on my neck. Try a fresh blade and as SiBurning said pay close attention to you prep and technique.

**Ski-Patroller** · 06-24-2012, 02:42 PM

With a decent prep, I can't even feel a Feather in most of my razors. The first time I put one in my Feather AS-D1, I felt like I forgot the blade, or had an angle where the blade did not touch the skin.

**Mandina** · 06-24-2012, 02:46 PM

+1 on the basic importance of prep + technique. Heikster's beard challenge is similar to mine, though perhaps his is even more difficult. Even a Feather blade (I tried several) in my EJ89L didn't initially provide a smooth shave--especially on my chin--but adjusting and improving my technique (as suggested by SiBurning) has resulted in very nice shaves (using either Feathers, Gillette Yellows, Russian Perma-sharp Supers, or Bluebirds [and even Derby's, though the shave isn't nearly as close]). The key has been short, light WTG strokes on the first pass--buffing-like strokes on my chin--followed by short, light XTG strokes on the second pass, and then J-hooks, slants, etc. on the last pass (see Mantic's video). I'd try all of this before spending on a more aggressive razor, which someone else will probably suggest.

**takeshi** · 06-25-2012, 08:11 AM

Originally Posted by SiBurning

Technique is more important than the blade.

It would be good to know what prep the OP is using since there's no info provided.

**Disburden** · 06-26-2012, 09:34 AM

I've been wet shaving since 2008 and I could never use the Feather blades, they just don't agree with my face and feel like a spider is biting me when I shave. Try different blades and see what you like best, I like Derbys, other people hate them...I also like Shark Carbon blades for DE razors.

**ArightDoom** · 06-27-2012, 10:08 PM

Only to hijack the thread a little bit, but I'm getting the opposite effect with the Feather blades. I just started wet shaving and switched over from the Merkur blade that came with my Model 180, but it feels like the edges aren't exposed enough and they're not cutting anything. Could that be?

**Ski-Patroller** · 06-28-2012, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by ArightDoom

Only to hijack the thread a little bit, but I'm getting the opposite effect with the Feather blades. I just started wet shaving and switched over from the Merkur blade that came with my Model 180, but it feels like the edges aren't exposed enough and they're not cutting anything. Could that be?

How does the shave feel after you are done? Feathers are so sharp, that (to me) some times they feel like there is no blade in the razor. I really felt that way when I put them in a Feather AS-D1.

**mo_zo** · 07-10-2012, 06:43 AM

I have a dark, tough & coarse beard. R41+Astra SP+Proraso is my solution. Feel free to test until you find what works best for you.

**Sergio70** · 07-10-2012, 05:23 PM

Try Gillette Yellows! and/or pay close attention to your prep

**ArightDoom** · 07-11-2012, 06:04 AM

Originally Posted by Ski-Patroller

How does the shave feel after you are done? Feathers are so sharp, that (to me) some times they feel like there is no blade in the razor. I really felt that way when I put them in a Feather AS-D1.

It feels like I didn't shave. I eventually just pulled out the gillette fusion I use on my head to finish the job. It's not that it felt like it wasn't cutting, it's that it was taking off so little hair that literally wasn't cutting. I think I may check out the blades mo_zo suggested.

**Sergio70** · 07-11-2012, 12:39 PM

What razor are you using?

**DMT** · 07-12-2012, 03:08 PM

Originally Posted by ArightDoom

It feels like I didn't shave. I eventually just pulled out the gillette fusion I use on my head to finish the job. It's not that it felt like it wasn't cutting, it's that it was taking off so little hair that literally wasn't cutting. I think I may check out the blades mo_zo suggested.

That sounds like my experience with a derby blade 4 passes and I still had a 5 o'clock shadow

**heikster** · 07-22-2012, 09:34 PM

It`s an old thread i know, but wanted closure, so first i would thank for all reply`s, they helped a lot. At the time i started this thread i had two razors, a Lord L6 and a Wilkinson Classic (mostly plastic), so i had a try with the Wilkinson and feather blade and i`m amazed, i realized what everbodys talking about, feather is just unbelieveable. The thing is that the Lord L6 is a very mild razor and blade exposure is very small, there`s a little more exposure on the Wilkinson and that made a huge difference, still, thank you all ! Soon going to try Personna Lab, Med Prep and Israeli Red, hope something good.