Feathers have a reputation for being the sharpest blade, but also the one that lends itself to the most nicks, the one that requires the most skill to handle. So far I've tried three blades - Merkurs were dull and gave an awful shave as well as a number of nicks (due to me trying to shave closer and applying pressure and taking many passes), Derby's are excellent but do tend to irritate my skin a bit after I've gone against the grain. With Derby's, I have to do a number of passes to get a good shave, so irritation is unavoidable. The Feather I just shaved with gave me a great shave just by going with the grain. I would probably be happy enough with that on most days, but surprised that I had no nicks given that I'm a relative newbie to DE shaving and Feathers are supposed to be like samurai swords, only to be handled by the masters, I then decided to go against the grain for some extra closeness. The only nick was on my neck where I had a big razor bump (or a pimple?) and the blade, true to its reputation, just lopped it off. It's not a total wrecking machine though -- I do have some very little bumps around my chin area but it didn't lop those off.
A good measure of irritation comes from what I do after the shave. I have a problem with ingrown hairs, so to prevent those I recently learned to apply 10% glycolic acid cream immediately after each shave. Applying the acid after shaving with the Derby's leads to an incredible amount of stinging, so ridiculous the pain that I end up laughing like a lunatic in an effort to bear it. I applied the acid after the shave with the Feather, expecting the worst, but surprisingly there was only some mild stinging. Some aloe on top of that and I was a happy man.
They say that every man is different and there will never be a consensus on the best blade, but I'll throw my hat in and say the Feather is the best blade. And you'd think it would have to be, since it is indisputably the sharpest, which implies that it shaves as closely as another blade with less pressure -- and isn't that the formula for less irritation? 10 Feather Razor Blades NEW Hi-stainless Double Edge
I've spent the last few months trying various blades: 7 AM, Derby, Astra, Merkur, Gilette Swedes (these *were* my favorite), Sharp, and several other brands. The Feather blades win hands-down for me. They are the sharpest and best at keeping their edge that I've used.
Though as others have warned, be careful or you'll wind up with your fair share of nicks. But if you pay attention, you'll get a very close and satisfactory shave.
By far the sharpest of the blades I've tried, the Feather will give a startlingly close shave. As the other users have pointed out, that sharpness is double-edged: you must pay attention to what you are doing, and you cannot hurry too much. Careless dragging of this blade will leave your face looking like a crime scene. A careful shave will produce a delightfully smooth cheek.
If, like me, you are switching from the crud in the drugstore, you may wish to start with a blade that is not quite as sharp, like a Merkur, before you tackle this one.
Five stars reduced to four for the shipping costs (yes you can do better if you look).
Blades -should- be sharp. After I got a DE razor in February, I switched to Feather on my third shave. I never looked back; it's a very sharp blade. This can mean fewer passes and less irritation. On here and some forums, the danger of being sliced open and mercilessly nicked are hyped. Sure, if you shave against the grain the first pass and scrape the blade quickly across your face, you're asking for burns and bumps. But we all know that's not how you shave.
Just switched to DE safety razor a few days ago, though I have years of experience with cartridge-based shaving (Gillette Fusion). The Merkur set I bought came with a Merkur sample blade. It was good but not great. Today I tried the Feather. When shaving with the grain, I thought "this thing is not working, it feels smooth as silk." But boy was it working. It puts the Merkur to shame. I'm not sure I'll try anything else.
Update: I've been trying the Merkur and the Feather for a while now. I can testify to what many say about Feather: it took me a while to get the hang of it and avoid irritation or cuts. The Merkur is far more forgiving in this regard, perhaps because it's just not as sharp. A tough trade-off--I think I'll stock both.
I purchased these blades (along with some Derby blades) a few days after receiving my Merkur long-handled safety razor.
Because of new job opportunities, I had to return to shaving after growing out and wearing a full beard for over a year. I dislike conventional shaving so much that it was one of the several reasons why I've grown out my beard in the past.
When deciding to shave off my beard again, I promised myself I would make shaving more enjoyable than I'd experienced with those useless cartridge and electric razors I've wasted my money on. Of course, my research led me to wet-shaving with a double edge safety razor.
I was apprehensive to use these blades at first. I'd read so many reviews about these being "ninja sharp" and "not for beginners" I was willing to wait patiently as I retaught myself how to shave. I was developing my technique and getting comfortable with the Derby blades all while the Feathers sat on the shelf.
Finally, after a 5 or 6 shaves with the Derby, I put a Feather Hi-Stainless.
It was the best move I've made since I started shaving again.
These blades are so sharp, so smooth, so effective at cutting through my beard. Just to double check, after about 2 weeks using the Feather blades, I tried another Derby blade to see if I could get comparable results. I simply couldn't. After 2 or 3 dragging, tugging, pulling cuts with a (new) Derby blade, I put back in the Feather and may never use another brand of blades again.
Don't be put off by the "not for beginners" hype and paranoia surrounding these blades. On your first ever day of learning how to drive, did you wrap your dad's car around a telephone pole at 90 mph? Probably not. Take your time, focus on your technique, prepare your face and your lather, and you'll be ok. I haven't cut myself once with these blades.
One comment said these blades rusted. They don't rust. Feather applies 2 very generous dabs of wax to the blades to hold them onto the wax-paper wrapper, and after the frequent rinsing and reacting with your shaving soaps/creams/oils, the WAX on the outside of the Feather blades starts to oxidize/change colors, and it can be misconstrued as rust. The wax doesn't affect the shave at all.
These blades are very high-quality and I'm glad I started using them to shave. They've been a very good investment and I will continue to use them for as long as I can. - Classic Shaving - Safety Razor - Double Edge - Feather'
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