The razor arrived this morning and I simply couldn't resist a tiny weeny polish around my sideburns straight away after disinfecting.
Oh, I like this ...
Roll on this evening and I get my first full shave with it, which i did WTG (pretty much north/south straight down) and then a second pass which is a hybrid XTG/ATG (starting at my jawline and working in and then a simple south/north up my neck). I find that works out well for me now with straights.
In terms of my experience with straights, it's limited. Limited to a few successively better shaves with what we could call moustache trimmers - narrower blades, like 4/8 and 3/8. I also have a good few shaves under my belt with a Feather Artist Club Kamisori style and Rob's microtome based Kamistyle, which I would now call myself proficient ... and so kicked off with that technique.
The shave went well ...
What a sound! I love that ... proper solid! Well, it is, and it sounds like it is, too. Some blades have a light sing to them ... if Brian Blessed shaved, he'd shave with this
Visually, it's a stunner! A real heft of steel quite perfectly shaped and ground. The bevel is lovely. Balance is good where you place your thumb, or rather where you're made to place your thumb and so the weight is neither head nor heel inclined.
Onto practicality, grip and manoeuvrability, this is where I have some points to make ...
First, I fancy that the curve and cut-out from the heel to the thumb notch places the thumb in the wrong place and one has a tendency for it to creep forward. I hold these razors with thumb under, four fingers on top, perhaps little finger resting against the back of the handle rather than on top at times, and this thumb placement had my fingers sliding around and the angle of the blade going off.
If the curved of the heel backwards simply omitted the thumb notch and that line ran directly back on a narrowing angle back to the rear point of the handle, it would be much improved for my use. Perhaps a more squared profile with narrower tang? Its thickness is the key to this - keep the thickness, narrow the tang. What I love about the Feather Artist Club is the round tang where the thumb and index finger rest - micro-fine angle adjustments can be made. With a more squared profile and perhaps wrapped, at least for the first inch or so, I think that would improve the function dramatically.
The length of the blade was perfect for me and the front curve just right. The width for me works right with the thickness of the spine.
Lovely! I'm looking forward to another shave with it shortly ...