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Feather a no go?

Well i have given the feather a few good tries... and i have come to the conclusion that although it is sharp, it is far from giving a nice smooth shave... it feels like its scraping my skin off my face.... i gave it a good 4 shave run and it just didn't 'CUT IT'

Loaded a persona Lab into the razor tonight, and although it didn't feel as sharp, it sure felt a lot smoother, and it was far more forgiving too, no weepers:thumbup:
 
YMMV at its finest.

I can honestly say that I have never had a horrible bloody weeping shave from any blade. I have had better shaves from certain blades, and Feathers happen to be the least irritating and smoothest to me.

But hey YMMV. Im happy with my two pass perfect BBS (well not all the time, sometimes I need three)
 
Well i have given the feather a few good tries... and i have come to the conclusion that although it is sharp, it is far from giving a nice smooth shave... it feels like its scraping my skin off my face.... i gave it a good 4 shave run and it just didn't 'CUT IT'

Loaded a persona Lab into the razor tonight, and although it didn't feel as sharp, it sure felt a lot smoother, and it was far more forgiving too, no weepers:thumbup:

The Feather will DEFINITELY take off layers of my skin if I don't pay attention to pressure and angle. If I am attentive, the Feather usually gives me the closest and smoothest shave. I ran a Personna Med on it's second shave today. It's just not going to get as close a shave unless I dial up more pressure. That is a recipe for irritation.
 
I find the feather to be smooooth and sharp in my r41.

I've only tried two blades in my r41 thus far - Gilette Yellow & Feather. Feather was much better by far. Feather is the best in my Futur, also (Med being a fairly close second).

This is definitely a YMMV thing, although my guess is that most would agree that Feathers are the more (most?) sharp of the bunch. Whether or not they work for your particular situation, that's another thing.
 
Try them in a different razor. my favorite combo is a feather in a 40's Aristocrat. It feels milder than my Fatboy on 3 but shaves about as close as my Fatboy on 4. I have been using one in my Fatboy on 5 this past week, but the shave doesn't seem to equal that of the Aristocrat, I'll keep it up through one more blade. I have also used them in both a 59 Flaretip SS and a 53 SS and both give great mild shaves, but neither as close as the Aristocrat. The 53 SS I would have to put serious effort into getting razorburn with so it's a perfect monday morning rush razor for me, but it still isn't nearly as close a shave as the Aristocrats.
Try the Feathers out in some other razors and you may find your combo, maybe not.
 
Feather is the worst blade (for me!) I have tried. Astra's, Gillette yellows, blues, and blacks, Red Pack Personna's, Personna med/labs Crystals and a few others I can't remember off the top of my head have all been alot better for me. I really think that blades are the biggest YMMV things in wet shaving.
 
Were all 4 shaves with the same blade? If so, you may want to give it another go. When I'm trying a new blade, if the shave isn't going well I immediately toss the blade and put in a new one.
 
I use feathers for 2 shaves only. After 2, it still feels sharp cutting the hair, but that is when I start feeling the skin irritation.
 
+1, Only 2 shaves from a feather. Not worth the risk of getting weepers. The biggest weeper (more like a gash :scared:) I ever got was from a Gillette Proglide.
 
I tried my first Feather a few months after I started shaving with a DE. It was no where near as nice as my blade of choice (at the time), the red personna. I kept the pack of feathers and I tried again about half a year after starting. They still were not my cup of tea at that point. I gave the Feathers another try about a year in. Suddenly they worked like a charm. I believe that for me, I had to get my technique down even more (despite the fact that I thought that I already had good technique). Feathers have been in my blade rotation ever since. Hang onto them and give them another go later. They might just start working for you then.
 
I tried my first Feather today. Loaded it in my 34C with AOS sandalwood pre-shave oil and cream. It is a very sharp blade for sure and it gave me my closest shave to date, but the jury is still out on whether it is going to be my go-to blade. I didn't get any weepers but I have a little irritation on my neck. I plan on trying it with some other set-ups to see how it does.
 
It may sound odd, but I find that the Gillette Black and the Feather feel and act about the same for me. I do believe with all I have read that the Feather is sharper, but I have a hard time telling the difference.
 
I have the same issues with Feathers when using in my Futur, and end up using the Personna Lab as well. However, the feather used in my Vision works great. I keep the sampler pack around just for those occasions after buying a new razor.
 
If you find Feathers harsh, maybe try palm stropping (I use my arm actually), a few strokes on each side of each edge, before using. Could be a tiny bit of wire edge remaining.

I used to get 3-4 decent shaves from them, then altered angle of attack and now get around 20 per blade. And I don't find them more prone to irritation than any other blade now, although I did find them tricky initially. That's how much of a difference a change of technique can make. Four shaves is indeed a small base for decision.

Like others have said, you might want to use something else for a while and come back to them.
 
Its not my favorite blade either and I had the same experience as the OP. I have other blades that give a much smoother more comfortable shave. All of the Feather lovers will try to tell you what you're doing wrong and and tell you to work on your technique until you agree with them and believe that there is no other blade as great as a Feather, but don't succomb to the peer pressure. Two shaves per blade and needing to cork or palm strop a blade are not indicators of a great blade.
 
true, you can only use a Feather blade if you know how to wield one and your face isn't afraid of it. I get effort free BBS shaves from them. I found I loved them after I hated them. The Gillette Black is also smokin awesome and smooth, but they don't last me as long as I'd like..
 
^ This. And don't dismiss trying any blade again after your technique improves, in another DE, etc.

true. I went 4 days last week without a shave, given the holiday and I was down sick for 2 days and just couldn't make myself stand long enough to shave. Next up in my rotation was a shave with a feather blade and Bigelow cream. Have had good shaves with a feather, but was worried about the amount of growth. No irritation, weepers, or any ill effects. Most likely just paid better attention to my prep and technique. Could be a different story next time out.
 
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