So I have been slowly working through my sample pack of blades getting mediocre shave after shave. Then I decided to give the feather blade ago and what a difference it made, such a good shave a DFS with minimal effort and a bbs with a few little touch ups. Now I am on an Astra SP and it is no where close to what I could achieve with the feather. So I guess my question is....... has anyone else experienced this as I found it hard to believe that a blade could make such a difference
difference a blade makes
- Thread starter danny-boy
- Start date
I had the same experience when I first used a Feather. For me the only problem I have with them is I can only get about 2 shaves out of one before it goes dull. That being said, my first few blades were pretty mediocre as well. The blade I find myself using most often is the Astra SP or a vintage TOMAC, not because it gives a closer shave than a Feather but that it comes damn close and lasts a lot longer.
Feathers work very nicely for me with my adjustable Merkurs. That said, I still needed to find my best exposure. Other blades, similar experience... But, it seemed easier to find the sweet spot with Feather.
I'm also working thru a sample pack and some that I purchased locally. Dorco and Derby were horrible with irritation and weepers. German made Wilkinson Swords were a bit better, but not by much. Last night I tried a Crystal and what a big difference!. Smooth, no dragging, no irritation and two small weepers.
I have ordered a few packs to get an idea as to what blades will feel the best to me. Will be trying German Wilkinson Classic, BIC Platinum, and Feather Platinum. From other input and blade info, I should be getting sharper blades as I progress from Wilkinson, thru BIC, and finally Feather.
You'll also find that once you have improved your technique you'll still be able to achieve a DFS with an astra blade too.
I was getting unsatisfactory results with my usual Personna med prep in my Vision2000, although it was my favorite in my other Merkur adjustables. So I decided it was time to crack open that pack of Feathers that had been sitting on the shelf.
It it really did the trick.
It it really did the trick.
Same thing happened to me. I started off using the Astra SP's. Then today I used a feather for the first time. All I can say is WOW! I got a DFS with no irritation at all for the first time. Ever. Looks like I found the right blade for my face.
No two blades are the same to me. The blades make or break my shaves. I always reach for Polsilver SI or Voskhods unless I'm using one of my favorite razors, the almighty 37c, which excels with Personna labs. It's funny. I had written off lab blues as 'meh' until I tried one in the 37c. It was a match made in heaven. I don't like them in any other razor I own.
My experience with Feathers is very similar to yours. They seem to work very well for me, and almost every time I try something else, I wonder why I bothered. 
Some people don't like the way they shave, but the most consistent knock against them is blade life.
Some people don't like the way they shave, but the most consistent knock against them is blade life.
Typical "blade jumping story"
My spiel about new shavers and blades follows
I always recommend a new DE shaver get a 100 count carton of Astra blades (they are around $10-12 delivered through Amazon).
After they get half of the carton used (2-3 months) they should know how to shave by then and can start looking at different blades.
I have seen way too many new shavers grab a large "sampler package" and get awful shave after awful shave from each and every brand, blaming their problems on the razor blades and never leaning how to shave.
Pick one blade.
Prep your beard properly
Map your beard (so you know which way WTG, XTG, ATG is)
Stretch your skin while shaving
Use short rapid strokes and keep a consistent blade angle.
If you do all of the above you should be able to shave with any blade stuffed into any razor and get a perfect shave time after time.
Typical "blade jumping story"
My spiel about new shavers and blades follows
I always recommend a new DE shaver get a 100 count carton of Astra blades (they are around $10-12 delivered through Amazon).
After they get half of the carton used (2-3 months) they should know how to shave by then and can start looking at different blades.
I have seen way too many new shavers grab a large "sampler package" and get awful shave after awful shave from each and every brand, blaming their problems on the razor blades and never leaning how to shave.
Pick one blade.
Prep your beard properly
Map your beard (so you know which way WTG, XTG, ATG is)
Stretch your skin while shaving
Use short rapid strokes and keep a consistent blade angle.
If you do all of the above you should be able to shave with any blade stuffed into any razor and get a perfect shave time after time.
When I was new (newer) to wet shaving, this would have been hard for me to believe. The few blades I tried seemed so different. Now, that I have a lot more experience, when I re-visit one of these older (not so good) blades, I find that the end result is just as good. I will say that I can detect small differences in smoothness, but the shave results have been pretty much the same with each blade (on the blade's first shave).
Typical "blade jumping story"
My spiel about new shavers and blades follows
I always recommend a new DE shaver get a 100 count carton of Astra blades (they are around $10-12 delivered through Amazon).
After they get half of the carton used (2-3 months) they should know how to shave by then and can start looking at different blades.
I have seen way too many new shavers grab a large "sampler package" and get awful shave after awful shave from each and every brand, blaming their problems on the razor blades and never leaning how to shave.
Pick one blade.
Prep your beard properly
Map your beard (so you know which way WTG, XTG, ATG is)
Stretch your skin while shaving
Use short rapid strokes and keep a consistent blade angle.
If you do all of the above you should be able to shave with any blade stuffed into any razor and get a perfect shave time after time.
+1
I totally agree, even though I was a blade jumper too when I first started. I should have stuck to one blade and actually learned to shave first.
Astra SP are a "go to" blade for most of us and get a lot of kudos around here. Feathers are a favorite of mine.
Some advice I received when comparing starter packs. Use one blade from one pack then on to the next. As your technique gets better it will be a fairer comparison. I've worked my way through the Merkur, Personna, Crystal and Astra. Saving the Feather for last. As of now Im leaning towards the Crystal but the Feather is waiting for me.
Blades seem to be a funny topic, since they're the ultimate in YMMV, yet once people find something they like they evangelize hard about them. I'm working through a similar journey: got a sample pack, and learned to shave/really like Personna reds. Went into the Astra SPs and always felt slightly more chaffed/irritated. To confirm, I went and popped my last Personna in, and right back to beautiful. I'm going to keep working through blades using this sort of logic/method, and will eventually find the combos I like in individual razors. But hey, everyday is a new shaving adventure.
