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This is a long rambling post written during a period of long working hours where writing this seemed more palatable than the prospects of working. Over the last few weeks I kept going back and adding sections so forgive me if this is a bit disjointed. These are my own notes and thoughts from researching various topics so please feel free to skip past this and go directly to the razor review if you don't like to read this ramble.
This review is my opinion so please do your own research and decide for yourself if it is the Razor for you, I take no blame or responsibility for anyone who buys one based on the review and doesn't like it. I am aware that there are a few guys considering this and Paul may stock it, particularly if there is demand. If you really want to try the Feather razor out before taking the plunge contact me for terms for a loan of mine (active members of TSR only).
Carbon Fibre - The new Stainless steel
If you watch Top Gear you will hear the term Carbon Fibre used often. It is a material new in relative terms to us; it promises high strength and is very light at the same time. Carbon Fibre is the new buzzword, everyone is making things out of Carbon Fibre things now. How about this Mach 3 razor that comes with a Carbon Fibre case?
http://www.czechandspeake.com/leathergoods.asp
A snip at a mere £695, it is the ultimate gift for the man that has everything, I have to admit it is very pretty but not for me.
We are always told that lighter is better, everything from bicycles to rocket ships are all now lighter and therefore better because of materials like carbon fibre, but what about when you actually want something to be heavy? Then Carbon Fibre is not of much use, sure you could make a hollow carbon fibre item and fill it with metal, but that is the point of that? Why pay extra for something that is lighter then make it heavier?
Most vintage DE razors are made from cast parts that are plated in different kinds of metals and then assembled, the metal is what gives them weight which is a property desired by many DE users. This method is still used today; modern DE razors are (mostly) still made from a base metal which is poured into moulds, buffed down and then coated with a silver coloured metal which makes it prettier, more durable and easier to clean. When I bought my first vintage DE I noticed there was a bit of plating loss, this didn’t upset me as I knew about it before I bought it, in fact I still use razors with plate loss to this day; however at the time it did make wonder why they didn't just make it from a single type of metal.
I found the collective answer from various sources is that the suitable materials that have the preferred silver metal finish, are expensive to buy or hard/costly to manufacture. You could make a solid brass razor and some manufacturers have; however Brass can be a little soft and to me it just does not look as good as shiny chrome. Aluminum has also been used to good effect, I have some aluminum razors and they are great shavers but I personally like a little more heft in a razor.
When I started out wet shaving I used a plastic handled disposable Gillette Blue II and then upgraded to a silver plastic Gillette Sensor, I stuck with the Sensor for many years and never really bought into the M3s and Fusion ranges. As the Sensor cartridges became scarcer I looked for alternatives, this was the driver that led me into DE shaving. A few years ago my wife bought me my first DE razor for Christmas, a new Merkur 34C which is also known as the HD. Now this was better, real metal, a nice weight in my hand and it felt as it I had got my moneys worth; it was something I knew I would keep for a long time and I still have it to this day. From this humble beginning my collection has grown and I now have at least one of every kind of the major groupings of both vintage and modern double edge razors.
While I am always on the lookout for that rare vintage DE my collection is more or less complete. More or less.
Stainless Steel A metal you can trust
Even the just the use of the words “Stainless Steel†conjures up images of utilitarian design and of unforgiving tolerances; things that are made from Stainless Steel can be trusted, they are things you can rely on. Expensive car exhausts parts of air and spacecrafts, boat and ships, cutlery and surgical instruments; they all use Stainless Steel. This truly wondrous metal is relatively low cost and can be sterilised with steam, it is 100% recyclable and it looks pretty but it is not new. Stainless steel can be traced back about a hundred years but it is only in the last fifty or so that machines have been able to design and shape this metal with the precision needed on mass.
Stainless steel can be used to add strength but it looks so good that it can also be left as the finished surface. In fact it is so durable and pretty that the frontage of the Petronas Towers and Jin Mao buildings are made from Stainless steel, some of the nicest watches in the world are made from high grade Stainless steel; even the big name appliance manufacturers use Stainless Steel for the fronts of their kitchen appliances so Stainless Steel is all around you every day and when present usually the product is of a higher quality…usually.
Stainless Steel is defined* as an alloy of Iron with a minimum of 10.5% Chromium; the Chromium content produces a thin layer of oxidisation on the surface of the steel. This “Passive Layer†as it is known prevents any further corrosion of the surface and increasing the Chromium content increases the corrosion resistance. Stainless Steel also contains various other elements which can be used to give the metal desired properties such as making it easier to form etc. There is no single definition of Stainless steel; rather there are fifteen commonly used grades but many times this amount exist, each tuned to their specific and sometimes secret purpose. These differing grades mean that not all Stainless Steel is equal.
* According to the British Stainless Steel Association, they also have lots of good information on their website <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.bssa.org.uk/faq.php?id=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.bssa.org.uk/faq.php?id=1</a><!-- m -->
There are probably many materials that people can suggest to make a razor out of and they all have their merits and detractors. As I said earlier you could make a Carbon Fibre razor but that would be very light, you could also make a solid gold one but not everyone likes yellow gold, in it’s purer form gold can be quite soft and it is also very expensive. Platinum would work well but would be astronomical in price. Going through the list of materials the best compromise for a single material seems to be Stainless Steel; this metal is strong, not too heavy, looks nice, requires little maintenance and is not prohibitively expensive to buy and manufacture.
The zinc base metal (the cast parts) used in many DE’s can be melted at between 400-500 degrees, this is why it is a popular choice, it can be literally melted and poured then finished easily with a smoothing grinder before plating. Stainless Steel melts at anywhere between 1400 to 1800 degrees (dependant on specific composition) so this does make it harder to work with and more costly both to purchase and manufacture. While it is theoretically possible to make Stainless Steel parts by mould, in practise it is often machined down from a larger piece of metal with powerful lathes.
Over the years Stainless Steel has been used in literally millions of applications, everything from Submarines to Spacecraft have all used Stainless Steel in one way or another, so if Stainless Steel can be trusted to go from the depths of the ocean to the punishing demands of space I am sure we can rely on this ubiquitous metal for a shave in the morning.
Enter the Feather All Stainless Razor
The Feather Razor is a new razor launched in the last year, it is made out of solid Stainless Steel and that makes this razor quite different from most of the other DE’s in production today. Being made entirely of Stainless Steel gives it automatic membership of an elite group; which means they can charge more for it. There are only a couple of solid stainless razors in production today, the main ones known to wet shavers being Pils and Ikon and now Feather. In my time browsing the internet and discussion forums I have seen DE’s made from many materials, some with more success than others. Sterling Silver is the only other material I have seen that I liked but if you ever had a family with Silver cutlery you will realise that good Silver requires frequent polishing and if you don’t keep the finish up it just looks rotten.
So we have established through a long and winding route (unless you skipped that part) that Stainless Steel is the ideal material for a Razor. It is dense enough to give weight, it is strong enough to hold its shape and survive all but the most violent knocks. It is made from a single material so there is no plating to flake off in the future. Cleaning is a trivial affair with either a mild detergent needed to dissolve the built up grime; or a quick wipe with Isopropyl Alcohol will both clean and sanitise the razor at the same time (using Isopropyl is also a handy cleaning tip for your domestic appliances made out of Stainless Steel).
I am not trying to justify the price, I fully admit the price is silly, but it was the material is what attracted me to it from the moment I seen the pictures posted by Paul. I had been looking at a Pils previous to this but the Feather was nicer and more familiar to my eye; it oozed quality and looked like a normal shaped Razor unlike the Pils which holds the blade in an almost flat plane. I will buy a Pils one day to compare with the Feather but that is a project for next year. My decision made I placed an order for one direct from Hairizon in Singapore.
The Razor arrived in ten days, I ordered the Japanese version which is more expensive than the export version we will most likely see in Europe; however the actual razor is the same. The only difference is the Japanese version comes in a different box and includes a Stainless Steel stand for the razor, I am not talking about the stand on this review; I think most people just want to know how this razor shaves.
The Feather comes with a booklet which I cannot read but is nice to have. I have folded out the booklet so you can see it here but if you need the diagram to show you how this goes together perhaps you may be better sticking to Mach 3 :lol:
This picture shows the stand better
Note in this picture there is a sticky backed rubber foot for the stand on the right of the picture. I have not used this foot or the stand but thought I would point out that it is included for anyone who want to use the stand but is scared that it may mark the counter top or slide on the sink.
In use the Feather razor feels very smooth. Loaded with a Feather blade which I have found to be amongst the sharpest blades available today, the Feathers first impression is one of a mild shaver, but it is deceptive. I have read one reviewer saying the Feather was cut or no cut; that the angle had to be dead on or it did not cut at all. I just don’t get that with this razor, for me it will still cut even if not at held at the correct angle. My left hand is very dominant and when shaving with any razor I find the angle hardest to maintain, especially when shaving the right hand side of my face with the razor in my left hand. I start out at the correct angle but as my hand moves from my ear level downwards or “with the grain†I tend to not extend my reach enough so the head of the razor lifts slightly at the end of that stroke at my jawbone. Over the years I have built in a compensation for this, I usually catch this slightly less shaven bit on the next pass going from my ear to my nose or “across the grainâ€Â. With the Feather I still shave hair from this area on my first pass so in my experience the cut or no cut theory does not hold water. Instead I find when held at the correct angle and maintained at that angle through the entire stroke the Feather removes more stubble in one pass than any other razor I have ever tired, I notice this more at the weekend when I take my time and concentrate a bit more.
The Merkur Futur comes close in that it is big and heavy and shaving with it feel similar. For the purposes of a review it is a good Razor to use for comparison, but main difference (apart from being adjustable) is that the Futur does have a slightly cumbersome head that some find awkward and unwieldy. Personally I really like the Futur and this is often the razor I take with me on my holidays. The tin hat blade retention cap gives the Futur a distinctive sound in use, this rasping noise is nice to hear for feedback and it has it’s lovers and hater’s but in terms of aggressiveness the Feather is like a Futur set on 3-3.5 (dependent on the blade and soap), this is the closest comparison I could find amongst my Razor collection.
Because of this I warn you to not expect scalpel like sharpness with the Feather DE. It is a very efficient cutting machine but it also is something you could use every day. A while back I bought another high end razor, a Joris horn handled open comb and this is the most beautiful razor I own, I sometimes look at it and marvel at the style and class, see for yourself with this gratuitous picture,
Lovely, makes me want to go use it now…
The Joris is on the same level of aggressiveness as the older version Muhle R41 open comb and it is as aggressive as I want from a razor. I find the Joris slightly more aggressive than the R41 and I think this is mainly due to the balance point. The Joris is a head heavy razor and you can see that they have added a metal cap to the handle end, probably to protect the horn material. This cap does add a little weight but nowhere near enough. I have yet to tame the Joris to the point where I can use it every day but I don’t know if I want to. I enjoy having a nice open comb for those days where I just want more than a safe shave. The horn would suffer a dulling effect with constant exposure to soap and hot water unless cared for regularly. Instead I enjoy getting the Joris out at the weekend, using it for three days (or one blade), and then giving it a clean and put it away again. The Feather is a razor I have used every day for several weeks without any real issues or shaving rash developing. I have let it get grubbier than I would normally allow and cleaning it is still quick and easy. The Feather is a mat finish; someone called it a pear skin finish but I just call it mat chrome which is just like the Futur I have. Because of this there is nothing to shine, a good scrub clean with a toothbrush and dry with a towel and then a quick rub with a Microfibre cloth and it is ready to go back into action. While the Joris and the Feather might seem comparable as high end choice razors, to me these are two very different animals both in performance and purpose.
The Feather when screwed together almost becomes a single piece or metal, when I took it out the first time I wasn’t that sure where it was going to split until I unscrewed it. Loading the blade into the Feather is a precise affair with the blade held in place at four points in the cap. These contact points stop the blade twisting from parallel, comparing the Feather to any other three piece razor the Feather wins in convincing me the blade is held securely. Twist to Open (TTO) razors are far easier to load a blade in but they are more complex mechanically. My personal view is that I have no real beef against three piece razors, but I know some people do, if you lean towards TTO’s then have a think before buying the Feather.
When assembled the bottom plate clamps the blade firmly between it and the top cap, there is no room for the blade to move and it overall the impression is that this is a very precisely made DE, which it should be at the price. One subtle point with the Feather is that it seems to look even bigger than normal. The head of the Feather is wider than normal, wide enough to take the blade width and have no “lugs†hanging out over the edge. I have read of some who say they have been cut at the ear by the lugs hanging over the end with some razors, this is more of a reflection on the blade than the razor as the lugs hang out on both vintage and modern DE’s. I have not experienced this myself but I do jump when the lug touches my ear, sometimes the lug can feel a little rough and for a split second when it touches I doubt myself and think I may have cut my ear but fortunately this has not happened to me……yet…. :roll:
When I noticed this extra width extra width of the head on the Feather I was slightly concerned that it would cause issues with me having an unshaven strip down the edge of my ear , or that it may cause other unforeseen annoyances. I am happy to report that the extra width is not a problem for me. I don’t even notice the extra width now but I do notice it when loading any other DE with a blade after using the Feather. It is a non issue to me but worth noting.
If you strop a DE blade on your hand you will feel it flexing quite easily, DE blades are surprisingly springy. It is this flexibility that allows a slight vibration while cutting, the vibration is then transmitted through the razor and can be felt through the handle as well as heard through the rasping sound. With the Feather the combination of the blade contact points and clamping design means the blade is held in the middle and in the four corners. I believe this is the key to how this razor performs and is why it delivers a slightly different feeling to the shave. Clamping the blade in this manner results in the blade scything through the stubble with little or no flexing in the blade. The heavy steel construction means that the rasping sound from the blade becomes very muted, hardly an audible noise can be heard from this razor in use,.
Note the four ridges ringed here in red on the top cap
These ridges slot into four notches in the base plate, again ringed in red
I think this is why some people form the opinion that the Feather is a mild razor. If you are looking for it you can feel the cutting of the stubble through the handle, the rasping sound is also there but at a much lower frequency and not just from the top cap and blade, the whole unit resonates ever so slightly. I normally shave every day but sometimes at the weekend I may shave later on a Saturday, by the time I get round to shaving it can be nearly 36 hours since my last shave, which is a lot for me. When using the Feather on matured stubble if you get the right speed of stroke occasionally it rings like a tuning fork. I enjoy this and it is very pleasing to hear, I have to watch myself that my attempts to make it ring do not result in a blood letting because the Feather can do this, any razor can and anyone who says it can’t should not be trusted with razor blades. It is just harder to do with the Feather.
The angle of shaving with the Feather is steeper than most DE razors, most DE’s shave best at about 30 degrees from vertical, the Feather is somewhere closer to 45 degrees but I said earlier it will still cut. When trying to get that perfect angle through the entire stroke I have managed to get razor burn from over shaving, this was entirely my fault. I can do this with any DE but it is possible with the Feather despite claims of mildness.
I have tried many different blades in the Feather but I find it works most efficiently with Feather Blades and this is nice. I love Feather blades but I tended to save them for the weekend because if my technique and soap mix was not spot on I might get a few weepers and more likely get a razor burn rash on my neck. I can still get this with the Feather blade in the Feather razor, the ease if shaving is not an excuse for complacency in your shave. Remember these are razors blades you are dealing with and even the dullest of them can easily cut skin. The Feather just seems to give me more confidence with every blade, perhaps it is the pear skin finish and 45 degree angle but it does glide with the grace of an Olympian figure skater. My favourite blades in this razor (apart from Feathers) are Crystal’s, Kai's, Gillette Bleue and Super Thin blades, all of them work as well as they do in other razors. I do not like any blades that I did not get on with before because of the Feather but the ones I do like I seem to enjoy even more with the Feather.
Overall the Feather is a very efficient razor that just gets the job done. It is easy on the eye and easy to use and clean. So long as you remember that is shaves at a slightly different angle than other DE’s it is just a razor, nothing too scary about it apart from the price. I do not regret buying it and I would recommend it, however you really need to weigh up the price of this and decide if it is for you. The law of diminishing returns means that it is only incrementally better than a razor half the price, but if you value fit and finish this is one for the shortlist.
After using the Feather intensively for several months and comparing it to my other favourite DE's I have given it a place in my starting line up. I will still use other DE’s because it is the variety that I enjoy having; I believe changing razors, blades, soaps and brushes keeps my technique sharper. This could be your only razor but I do not like to limit myself to one, this morning I used my Mergress and I got a shave every bit as good as the Feather and it was very enjoyable, this reminds me that bad and good performance of razors is more down to the user then the tools. The acid test for me was the fact that one day when cleaning the Feather my wife said “You like that razor, don’t youâ€Â. While she knows more about DE’s (from my ramblings) than some guys who use Fusions she doesn’t really care, however she did notice that it appeared in the bathroom very regularly and can sense there is a level of reverence from me towards this DE.
To me this will be a modern day classic. I had been in conversation with Paul about getting one of these a while back and he had mentioned that a few seemed genuinely interested. This is why I posted this review and I hope that anyone who has made it to the end, without falling asleep, has found this useful.
I will get my coat now…..
This review is my opinion so please do your own research and decide for yourself if it is the Razor for you, I take no blame or responsibility for anyone who buys one based on the review and doesn't like it. I am aware that there are a few guys considering this and Paul may stock it, particularly if there is demand. If you really want to try the Feather razor out before taking the plunge contact me for terms for a loan of mine (active members of TSR only).
Carbon Fibre - The new Stainless steel
If you watch Top Gear you will hear the term Carbon Fibre used often. It is a material new in relative terms to us; it promises high strength and is very light at the same time. Carbon Fibre is the new buzzword, everyone is making things out of Carbon Fibre things now. How about this Mach 3 razor that comes with a Carbon Fibre case?
http://www.czechandspeake.com/leathergoods.asp
A snip at a mere £695, it is the ultimate gift for the man that has everything, I have to admit it is very pretty but not for me.
We are always told that lighter is better, everything from bicycles to rocket ships are all now lighter and therefore better because of materials like carbon fibre, but what about when you actually want something to be heavy? Then Carbon Fibre is not of much use, sure you could make a hollow carbon fibre item and fill it with metal, but that is the point of that? Why pay extra for something that is lighter then make it heavier?
Most vintage DE razors are made from cast parts that are plated in different kinds of metals and then assembled, the metal is what gives them weight which is a property desired by many DE users. This method is still used today; modern DE razors are (mostly) still made from a base metal which is poured into moulds, buffed down and then coated with a silver coloured metal which makes it prettier, more durable and easier to clean. When I bought my first vintage DE I noticed there was a bit of plating loss, this didn’t upset me as I knew about it before I bought it, in fact I still use razors with plate loss to this day; however at the time it did make wonder why they didn't just make it from a single type of metal.
I found the collective answer from various sources is that the suitable materials that have the preferred silver metal finish, are expensive to buy or hard/costly to manufacture. You could make a solid brass razor and some manufacturers have; however Brass can be a little soft and to me it just does not look as good as shiny chrome. Aluminum has also been used to good effect, I have some aluminum razors and they are great shavers but I personally like a little more heft in a razor.
When I started out wet shaving I used a plastic handled disposable Gillette Blue II and then upgraded to a silver plastic Gillette Sensor, I stuck with the Sensor for many years and never really bought into the M3s and Fusion ranges. As the Sensor cartridges became scarcer I looked for alternatives, this was the driver that led me into DE shaving. A few years ago my wife bought me my first DE razor for Christmas, a new Merkur 34C which is also known as the HD. Now this was better, real metal, a nice weight in my hand and it felt as it I had got my moneys worth; it was something I knew I would keep for a long time and I still have it to this day. From this humble beginning my collection has grown and I now have at least one of every kind of the major groupings of both vintage and modern double edge razors.
While I am always on the lookout for that rare vintage DE my collection is more or less complete. More or less.
Stainless Steel A metal you can trust
Even the just the use of the words “Stainless Steel†conjures up images of utilitarian design and of unforgiving tolerances; things that are made from Stainless Steel can be trusted, they are things you can rely on. Expensive car exhausts parts of air and spacecrafts, boat and ships, cutlery and surgical instruments; they all use Stainless Steel. This truly wondrous metal is relatively low cost and can be sterilised with steam, it is 100% recyclable and it looks pretty but it is not new. Stainless steel can be traced back about a hundred years but it is only in the last fifty or so that machines have been able to design and shape this metal with the precision needed on mass.
Stainless steel can be used to add strength but it looks so good that it can also be left as the finished surface. In fact it is so durable and pretty that the frontage of the Petronas Towers and Jin Mao buildings are made from Stainless steel, some of the nicest watches in the world are made from high grade Stainless steel; even the big name appliance manufacturers use Stainless Steel for the fronts of their kitchen appliances so Stainless Steel is all around you every day and when present usually the product is of a higher quality…usually.
Stainless Steel is defined* as an alloy of Iron with a minimum of 10.5% Chromium; the Chromium content produces a thin layer of oxidisation on the surface of the steel. This “Passive Layer†as it is known prevents any further corrosion of the surface and increasing the Chromium content increases the corrosion resistance. Stainless Steel also contains various other elements which can be used to give the metal desired properties such as making it easier to form etc. There is no single definition of Stainless steel; rather there are fifteen commonly used grades but many times this amount exist, each tuned to their specific and sometimes secret purpose. These differing grades mean that not all Stainless Steel is equal.
* According to the British Stainless Steel Association, they also have lots of good information on their website <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.bssa.org.uk/faq.php?id=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.bssa.org.uk/faq.php?id=1</a><!-- m -->
There are probably many materials that people can suggest to make a razor out of and they all have their merits and detractors. As I said earlier you could make a Carbon Fibre razor but that would be very light, you could also make a solid gold one but not everyone likes yellow gold, in it’s purer form gold can be quite soft and it is also very expensive. Platinum would work well but would be astronomical in price. Going through the list of materials the best compromise for a single material seems to be Stainless Steel; this metal is strong, not too heavy, looks nice, requires little maintenance and is not prohibitively expensive to buy and manufacture.
The zinc base metal (the cast parts) used in many DE’s can be melted at between 400-500 degrees, this is why it is a popular choice, it can be literally melted and poured then finished easily with a smoothing grinder before plating. Stainless Steel melts at anywhere between 1400 to 1800 degrees (dependant on specific composition) so this does make it harder to work with and more costly both to purchase and manufacture. While it is theoretically possible to make Stainless Steel parts by mould, in practise it is often machined down from a larger piece of metal with powerful lathes.
Over the years Stainless Steel has been used in literally millions of applications, everything from Submarines to Spacecraft have all used Stainless Steel in one way or another, so if Stainless Steel can be trusted to go from the depths of the ocean to the punishing demands of space I am sure we can rely on this ubiquitous metal for a shave in the morning.
Enter the Feather All Stainless Razor
The Feather Razor is a new razor launched in the last year, it is made out of solid Stainless Steel and that makes this razor quite different from most of the other DE’s in production today. Being made entirely of Stainless Steel gives it automatic membership of an elite group; which means they can charge more for it. There are only a couple of solid stainless razors in production today, the main ones known to wet shavers being Pils and Ikon and now Feather. In my time browsing the internet and discussion forums I have seen DE’s made from many materials, some with more success than others. Sterling Silver is the only other material I have seen that I liked but if you ever had a family with Silver cutlery you will realise that good Silver requires frequent polishing and if you don’t keep the finish up it just looks rotten.
So we have established through a long and winding route (unless you skipped that part) that Stainless Steel is the ideal material for a Razor. It is dense enough to give weight, it is strong enough to hold its shape and survive all but the most violent knocks. It is made from a single material so there is no plating to flake off in the future. Cleaning is a trivial affair with either a mild detergent needed to dissolve the built up grime; or a quick wipe with Isopropyl Alcohol will both clean and sanitise the razor at the same time (using Isopropyl is also a handy cleaning tip for your domestic appliances made out of Stainless Steel).
I am not trying to justify the price, I fully admit the price is silly, but it was the material is what attracted me to it from the moment I seen the pictures posted by Paul. I had been looking at a Pils previous to this but the Feather was nicer and more familiar to my eye; it oozed quality and looked like a normal shaped Razor unlike the Pils which holds the blade in an almost flat plane. I will buy a Pils one day to compare with the Feather but that is a project for next year. My decision made I placed an order for one direct from Hairizon in Singapore.
The Razor arrived in ten days, I ordered the Japanese version which is more expensive than the export version we will most likely see in Europe; however the actual razor is the same. The only difference is the Japanese version comes in a different box and includes a Stainless Steel stand for the razor, I am not talking about the stand on this review; I think most people just want to know how this razor shaves.
The Feather comes with a booklet which I cannot read but is nice to have. I have folded out the booklet so you can see it here but if you need the diagram to show you how this goes together perhaps you may be better sticking to Mach 3 :lol:
This picture shows the stand better
Note in this picture there is a sticky backed rubber foot for the stand on the right of the picture. I have not used this foot or the stand but thought I would point out that it is included for anyone who want to use the stand but is scared that it may mark the counter top or slide on the sink.
In use the Feather razor feels very smooth. Loaded with a Feather blade which I have found to be amongst the sharpest blades available today, the Feathers first impression is one of a mild shaver, but it is deceptive. I have read one reviewer saying the Feather was cut or no cut; that the angle had to be dead on or it did not cut at all. I just don’t get that with this razor, for me it will still cut even if not at held at the correct angle. My left hand is very dominant and when shaving with any razor I find the angle hardest to maintain, especially when shaving the right hand side of my face with the razor in my left hand. I start out at the correct angle but as my hand moves from my ear level downwards or “with the grain†I tend to not extend my reach enough so the head of the razor lifts slightly at the end of that stroke at my jawbone. Over the years I have built in a compensation for this, I usually catch this slightly less shaven bit on the next pass going from my ear to my nose or “across the grainâ€Â. With the Feather I still shave hair from this area on my first pass so in my experience the cut or no cut theory does not hold water. Instead I find when held at the correct angle and maintained at that angle through the entire stroke the Feather removes more stubble in one pass than any other razor I have ever tired, I notice this more at the weekend when I take my time and concentrate a bit more.
The Merkur Futur comes close in that it is big and heavy and shaving with it feel similar. For the purposes of a review it is a good Razor to use for comparison, but main difference (apart from being adjustable) is that the Futur does have a slightly cumbersome head that some find awkward and unwieldy. Personally I really like the Futur and this is often the razor I take with me on my holidays. The tin hat blade retention cap gives the Futur a distinctive sound in use, this rasping noise is nice to hear for feedback and it has it’s lovers and hater’s but in terms of aggressiveness the Feather is like a Futur set on 3-3.5 (dependent on the blade and soap), this is the closest comparison I could find amongst my Razor collection.
Because of this I warn you to not expect scalpel like sharpness with the Feather DE. It is a very efficient cutting machine but it also is something you could use every day. A while back I bought another high end razor, a Joris horn handled open comb and this is the most beautiful razor I own, I sometimes look at it and marvel at the style and class, see for yourself with this gratuitous picture,
Lovely, makes me want to go use it now…
The Joris is on the same level of aggressiveness as the older version Muhle R41 open comb and it is as aggressive as I want from a razor. I find the Joris slightly more aggressive than the R41 and I think this is mainly due to the balance point. The Joris is a head heavy razor and you can see that they have added a metal cap to the handle end, probably to protect the horn material. This cap does add a little weight but nowhere near enough. I have yet to tame the Joris to the point where I can use it every day but I don’t know if I want to. I enjoy having a nice open comb for those days where I just want more than a safe shave. The horn would suffer a dulling effect with constant exposure to soap and hot water unless cared for regularly. Instead I enjoy getting the Joris out at the weekend, using it for three days (or one blade), and then giving it a clean and put it away again. The Feather is a razor I have used every day for several weeks without any real issues or shaving rash developing. I have let it get grubbier than I would normally allow and cleaning it is still quick and easy. The Feather is a mat finish; someone called it a pear skin finish but I just call it mat chrome which is just like the Futur I have. Because of this there is nothing to shine, a good scrub clean with a toothbrush and dry with a towel and then a quick rub with a Microfibre cloth and it is ready to go back into action. While the Joris and the Feather might seem comparable as high end choice razors, to me these are two very different animals both in performance and purpose.
The Feather when screwed together almost becomes a single piece or metal, when I took it out the first time I wasn’t that sure where it was going to split until I unscrewed it. Loading the blade into the Feather is a precise affair with the blade held in place at four points in the cap. These contact points stop the blade twisting from parallel, comparing the Feather to any other three piece razor the Feather wins in convincing me the blade is held securely. Twist to Open (TTO) razors are far easier to load a blade in but they are more complex mechanically. My personal view is that I have no real beef against three piece razors, but I know some people do, if you lean towards TTO’s then have a think before buying the Feather.
When assembled the bottom plate clamps the blade firmly between it and the top cap, there is no room for the blade to move and it overall the impression is that this is a very precisely made DE, which it should be at the price. One subtle point with the Feather is that it seems to look even bigger than normal. The head of the Feather is wider than normal, wide enough to take the blade width and have no “lugs†hanging out over the edge. I have read of some who say they have been cut at the ear by the lugs hanging over the end with some razors, this is more of a reflection on the blade than the razor as the lugs hang out on both vintage and modern DE’s. I have not experienced this myself but I do jump when the lug touches my ear, sometimes the lug can feel a little rough and for a split second when it touches I doubt myself and think I may have cut my ear but fortunately this has not happened to me……yet…. :roll:
When I noticed this extra width extra width of the head on the Feather I was slightly concerned that it would cause issues with me having an unshaven strip down the edge of my ear , or that it may cause other unforeseen annoyances. I am happy to report that the extra width is not a problem for me. I don’t even notice the extra width now but I do notice it when loading any other DE with a blade after using the Feather. It is a non issue to me but worth noting.
If you strop a DE blade on your hand you will feel it flexing quite easily, DE blades are surprisingly springy. It is this flexibility that allows a slight vibration while cutting, the vibration is then transmitted through the razor and can be felt through the handle as well as heard through the rasping sound. With the Feather the combination of the blade contact points and clamping design means the blade is held in the middle and in the four corners. I believe this is the key to how this razor performs and is why it delivers a slightly different feeling to the shave. Clamping the blade in this manner results in the blade scything through the stubble with little or no flexing in the blade. The heavy steel construction means that the rasping sound from the blade becomes very muted, hardly an audible noise can be heard from this razor in use,.
Note the four ridges ringed here in red on the top cap
These ridges slot into four notches in the base plate, again ringed in red
I think this is why some people form the opinion that the Feather is a mild razor. If you are looking for it you can feel the cutting of the stubble through the handle, the rasping sound is also there but at a much lower frequency and not just from the top cap and blade, the whole unit resonates ever so slightly. I normally shave every day but sometimes at the weekend I may shave later on a Saturday, by the time I get round to shaving it can be nearly 36 hours since my last shave, which is a lot for me. When using the Feather on matured stubble if you get the right speed of stroke occasionally it rings like a tuning fork. I enjoy this and it is very pleasing to hear, I have to watch myself that my attempts to make it ring do not result in a blood letting because the Feather can do this, any razor can and anyone who says it can’t should not be trusted with razor blades. It is just harder to do with the Feather.
The angle of shaving with the Feather is steeper than most DE razors, most DE’s shave best at about 30 degrees from vertical, the Feather is somewhere closer to 45 degrees but I said earlier it will still cut. When trying to get that perfect angle through the entire stroke I have managed to get razor burn from over shaving, this was entirely my fault. I can do this with any DE but it is possible with the Feather despite claims of mildness.
I have tried many different blades in the Feather but I find it works most efficiently with Feather Blades and this is nice. I love Feather blades but I tended to save them for the weekend because if my technique and soap mix was not spot on I might get a few weepers and more likely get a razor burn rash on my neck. I can still get this with the Feather blade in the Feather razor, the ease if shaving is not an excuse for complacency in your shave. Remember these are razors blades you are dealing with and even the dullest of them can easily cut skin. The Feather just seems to give me more confidence with every blade, perhaps it is the pear skin finish and 45 degree angle but it does glide with the grace of an Olympian figure skater. My favourite blades in this razor (apart from Feathers) are Crystal’s, Kai's, Gillette Bleue and Super Thin blades, all of them work as well as they do in other razors. I do not like any blades that I did not get on with before because of the Feather but the ones I do like I seem to enjoy even more with the Feather.
Overall the Feather is a very efficient razor that just gets the job done. It is easy on the eye and easy to use and clean. So long as you remember that is shaves at a slightly different angle than other DE’s it is just a razor, nothing too scary about it apart from the price. I do not regret buying it and I would recommend it, however you really need to weigh up the price of this and decide if it is for you. The law of diminishing returns means that it is only incrementally better than a razor half the price, but if you value fit and finish this is one for the shortlist.
After using the Feather intensively for several months and comparing it to my other favourite DE's I have given it a place in my starting line up. I will still use other DE’s because it is the variety that I enjoy having; I believe changing razors, blades, soaps and brushes keeps my technique sharper. This could be your only razor but I do not like to limit myself to one, this morning I used my Mergress and I got a shave every bit as good as the Feather and it was very enjoyable, this reminds me that bad and good performance of razors is more down to the user then the tools. The acid test for me was the fact that one day when cleaning the Feather my wife said “You like that razor, don’t youâ€Â. While she knows more about DE’s (from my ramblings) than some guys who use Fusions she doesn’t really care, however she did notice that it appeared in the bathroom very regularly and can sense there is a level of reverence from me towards this DE.
To me this will be a modern day classic. I had been in conversation with Paul about getting one of these a while back and he had mentioned that a few seemed genuinely interested. This is why I posted this review and I hope that anyone who has made it to the end, without falling asleep, has found this useful.
I will get my coat now…..
