Gillette 7 o'clock yellow or feather longevity ?

I shave my head so i bought a sample pack of blades which included everything from
derby
different rapiras
different astra
different sharks
different super max
gillete 7 o'clock yellow and green
and feather

to see what was the beast blade for me

Hated all of them except one

The only one i liked was the 7 o'clock yellow ( hadn't used the feather yet after reading its fearsome repution ) the first shave was fantastic clean smooth no irritation. But subsequent shaves really let it down much duller, thinking it was the blade i bought a 5 pack, again same thing first shave amazing then dull.

So i tried the feather last night first shave fantastic..

my question is have people found the feather dulls too?

Hated all of them?

I found Feather to be one of the best for longevity but some find that they go dull rather suddenly.

Between 7OC Yellow and Feather, I far prefer the 7OC, which also lasted longer for me.

Space_Cadet said:

Hated all of them?

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Hate probably too strong a word. Didn't like is better especially after using the 7oc

I'm on shave 37 with a Feather, but I have exceptional prep because of a heavy workout prior to my shave. Getting blade life as bad as what you're reporting is probably due to insufficient prep. If your beard isn't sufficiently prepped everything will seem too dull - or marginal on the first shave for the sharpest blades, then too dull on the next shave. Soften up that beard!

Rowdi said:

my question is have people found the feather dulls too?

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Yes, the feathers dull fast, no more than two shaves for me.

Don't know about Astras or Sharks, but some of the Rapira range and some of the SuperMax range work well for me.

jamesspo said:

I'm on shave 37 with a Feather, but I have exceptional prep because of a heavy workout prior to my shave. Getting blade life as bad as what you're reporting is probably due to insufficient prep. If your beard isn't sufficiently prepped everything will seem too dull - or marginal on the first shave for the sharpest blades, then too dull on the next shave. Soften up that beard!

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37? You must have the beard of a 12 yr. old. Wetting the beard does not soften the hair, it makes it harder so as to be cut easier. Your face gets "softer" from the water & not the hair. Feather blades usually are only good for 2 to 3 shaves at best for most.

Boge said:

37? You must have the beard of a 12 yr. old. Wetting the beard does not soften the hair, it makes it harder so as to be cut easier. Your face gets "softer" from the water & not the hair. Feather blades usually are only good for 2 to 3 shaves at best for most.

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This is a common misconception. It's all about technique and prep. 37 shaves from a Feather is not even close to being unheard of.

In the bad old days shavers were forced to this due to the depression but I do it because I get consistent and very comfortable shaves. There is an annual B&B event about this here: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...February-quot-Challenge?p=6002504#post6002504 .

Gillette made the blades to last long but I don't think they mind if you toss them after a few shaves and buy new ones!

Sweet ad.

3 shaves with a Feather is it for me. I find it hard to believe anyone can get 37 really good shaves out of any blade regardless of prep or technique. Out of hardship, I am sure a many could get many more acceptable shaves out of a blade than most of us do.

After lots of testing, three blades are proving themselves the best, for me, I stress: nothing except scents is more YMMV than blades. I've liked Feather and Gillette Yellow 7 O'Clock best so far, but I'm now using an Astra SP, and it might be the best yet in my Fatboy.

But every blade is different as to how long it will last. I just use them until they don't feel as smooth. Then I toss them; usually 3-5 shaves. Depends more on the individual blade than the brand.

ColtRevolver said:

3 shaves with a Feather is it for me. I find it hard to believe anyone can get 37 really good shaves out of any blade regardless of prep or technique. Out of hardship, I am sure a many could get many more acceptable shaves out of a blade than most of us do.

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There are several gents reporting 36 or more good shaves in the 'One Blade in February' challenge over here: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...February-quot-Challenge?p=6019170#post6019170 .

I regularly use any of my blades for at least 28 good shaves. I accept nothing else but a daily BBS but then I have been practicing since 1980. Turtle went 100+ with his Wilkinson blade.

It really is up to prep and technique!

All this makes me think. If blades are good for 30-40 shaves for some, why others toss them after 3-4 and say they can feel them deteriorate?

Don't worry about how long they last. Did anyone notice the Italian Barber dropped them down in price by a lot? 2.99$/10 now

Space_Cadet said:

All this makes me think. If blades are good for 30-40 shaves for some, why others toss them after 3-4 and say they can feel them deteriorate?

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They do feel them deteriorate! The outmost layer of the blade is worn away thus exposing the steel to the skin. Many shavers mistake this feeling for a sign that the blade is worn out.

If you have a solid technique this point is where the lifespan of the blade begins. Solid technique in this case means that you can achieve a true BBS daily. Many shavers have a skin that will not tolerate this. With a solid technique they can however enjoy their blades for a significant number of shaves without compromising the quality of their shaves. When the blade does not produce a long lasting shave any more it is time to replace it, but only then.

Boge said:

37? You must have the beard of a 12 yr. old. Wetting the beard does not soften the hair, it makes it harder so as to be cut easier. Your face gets "softer" from the water & not the hair. Feather blades usually are only good for 2 to 3 shaves at best for most.

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No, actually I have a pretty stout beard, and very dense. I've observed the ability of the blade to cut vs the amount of prep I get, and it is directly proportional. I'll admit, I don't have ready research to point you to stating that hair gets softer with hydration, but I do believe I've seen a paper on that posted here at B&B with numbers to show that's the case. I'll do some digging on that. In any case, my admittedly anecdotal observation (and I'm pretty good at observing as I'm an Engineer) is that when I do a hard workout and sweat a lot, the force required to cut the hair is lower, be that because of softening or hardening of the hair. If I cut out the workout, and leave all of other prep constant, the force required to cut goes up fairly substantially. On the next day returning to my normal workout, the blade's back to its normal performance. I've repeated this over and over with the same results.

On the number of shaves, I think my unusual prep is probably a key factor, but as Bosse mentioned, there are a few others that get comparable blade life (and some many more shaves),and many people that get 10-12 from Feathers (or any blade). Sure, most stop at 3-5 shaves with most blades, but I suspect that's mostly because they just decide to stop there, rather than taking each blade as far as it can comfortably go. I suspect most could get 10 shaves from any blade with excellent prep.

No, Feather lasts much longer I have found. It is smoother and sharper too as well as less rust-prone. Yellow gives 2-3 shaves max whereas Feather can give 9 shaves - that is if you can resist the urge to change

jamesspo said:

...(and I'm pretty good at observing as I'm an Engineer)...

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