Learning to shave with the Feather Artist Club

p.b

Forum GOD!
Therefore I decided to aim for an angle that gave a little tugginess, but right on the edge. Perhaps this is what I need to practice. I
That’s what I do. And I used the safety of the guarded blades to learn the muscle memory.

To workout your chin and lip try shaving without a blade to find the right angle and hand position.
 

wintoid

Out of control
Day 8

Feather Artist Club SS with Feather Proguard blade

OK there's definitely progress. I don't want to use the word confident, but let's say I am getting very comfortable shaving WTG with the Proguard on everything except the moustache and end of my chin. I even tried a little bit of XTG on my dominant side, but I'm now *so* wary not to rush this that I did a teeny bit and left it at that.

The shave on my cheeks is getting close to what a decent DE can do. The shave on my neck is not quite as good but not too far behind. No cuts, still patchy along the jawline, but starting to feel more even! I'm chuffed to bits.
 
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JamieM

Extreme sharpness is ephemeral!
Feather Artist Club SS with Feather Proguard blade

OK there's definitely progress. I don't want to use the word confident, but let's say I am getting very comfortable shaving WTG with the Proguard on everything except the moustache and end of my chin. I even tried a little bit of XTG on my dominant side, but I'm now *so* wary not to rush this that I did a teeny bit and left it at that.

The shave on my cheeks is getting close to what a decent DE can do. The shave on my neck is not quite as good but not too far behind. No cuts, still patchy along the jawline, but starting to feel more even! I'm chuffed to bits.

You sound like somebody who's only a few months away from trying a traditional straight razor.:happy:
 

wintoid

Out of control
Day 9

Feather Artist Club SS with Kai Protouch MG

So I'm keeping it simple, trying to change one thing at a time. Today, a different blade, and my first time using a Kai Protouch MG guarded blade. In use, I didn't really find it any different from the Feather Proguard, but of course I've only had one shave with it.

Same drill really. Three passes, mostly WTG with a little bit of XTG on my dominant side. I left the moustache area, but had a careful go around my chin. No cuts, a little bit patchy, but very comfortable. In fact, apart from the few cuts I've had along the way, every shave with the FAC has been comfortable. I would say more comfortable than my Feather SEs, which have included various Mongoose, ATT SE1, General, Enoch, Hiram, Vector, Claymore V1 and V3. Perhaps because I am being so very careful.

Maybe I'm getting overconfident, but I don't seem to be quite so slow with it either. I'm not far behind the speed of a DE at this point.

So the next step is uncertain. I'm finding it really hard to summon up the courage to do the top lip, in spite of the fact I am really almost never cutting myself. On the other hand, I'd really like the shave to be a bit closer, which could mean switching to the DX, or using a non-guarded blade, or going more ATG. I have to keep reining myself in, though. Slow and steady wins the race.
 
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p.b

Forum GOD!
Simon, I'd suggest more shaves with a guarded blade - I found the guard to make a big difference. I can get a great shave with three passes of WTG + XTG + XTG/ATG with a Proguard. Straight shavers say it takes 100 shaves to get good. I think the SS is much quicker than that but for me it was about 20-30.
 

Rowlers

Massive Member
Staff member
Feather Artist Club SS with Kai Protouch MG

So I'm keeping it simple, trying to change one thing at a time. Today, a different blade, and my first time using a Kai Protouch MG guarded blade. In use, I didn't really find it any different from the Feather Proguard, but of course I've only had one shave with it.

Same drill really. Three passes, mostly WTG with a little bit of XTG on my dominant side. I left the moustache area, but had a careful go around my chin. No cuts, a little bit patchy, but very comfortable. In fact, apart from the few cuts I've had along the way, every shave with the FAC has been comfortable. I would say more comfortable than my Feather SEs, which have included various Mongoose, ATT SE1, General, Enoch, Hiram, Vector, Claymore V1 and V3. Perhaps because I am being so very careful.

Maybe I'm getting overconfident, but I don't seem to be quite so slow with it either. I'm not far behind the speed of a DE at this point.

So the next step is uncertain. I'm finding it really hard to summon up the courage to do the top lip, in spite of the fact I am really almost never cutting myself. On the other hand, I'd really like the shave to be a bit closer, which could mean switching to the DX, or using a non-guarded blade, or going more ATG. I have to keep reining myself in, though. Slow and steady wins the race.
I actually don't think I have ever cut my lip.. it's mostly my cheeks I nick, probably due to over confidence!
 

wintoid

Out of control
Simon, I'd suggest more shaves with a guarded blade - I found the guard to make a big difference. I can get a great shave with three passes of WTG + XTG + XTG/ATG with a Proguard. Straight shavers say it takes 100 shaves to get good. I think the SS is much quicker than that but for me it was about 20-30.
You're probably right. I do need to crack the moustache area too.
 

wintoid

Out of control
I actually don't think I have ever cut my lip.. it's mostly my cheeks I nick, probably due to over confidence!
Interesting. I reckon I stand a chance with the left and right parts of the lip, but the philtrum I have no idea how I will shave without cutting.
 

UKRob

Forum GOD!
Yes, as PB says, put the blade under your nose at almost 90 degrees then with almost no pressure, rotate until you are far enough down to pull. It sounds worse than it really is.
 

wintoid

Out of control
Day 10

Feather Artist Club SS with Kai Proguard MG

Today is the first day I have shaved entirely with the FAC. Huzzah! No use of DE whatsoever. 3 passes of WTG, with a dash of XTG on my dominant side neck. Sure, it's a patchy shave, but I'm chuffed to bits.

I actually don't think I have ever cut my lip.. it's mostly my cheeks I nick, probably due to over confidence!
Above all else, this gave me some confidence, so thanks! I still found shaving under the nose pretty terrifying, but I did it, three times! It's probably the worst part of the shave. Not close, and slightly sore. Everywhere else was very comfortable.

All this progressed quicker than I expected. I'm about 1.5 weeks in. Now I've got to improve the shave. I'm hoping that will happen without thinking too much about it, but I suspect in 2 weeks time I'll be saying "I can't get it very close on this bit" and asking for more help.

Bank!
 
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Burgundy

Forum GOD!
I’m also gatecrashing your party! Blessed with all this enforced time at home, I’ve been using a Feather DX all week. I wouldn’t say that I’m anywhere near proficient with it so it’s been a pleasure to spend fifteen mindful minutes (rather than my typical five or ten) shaving with lots of care and attention.

With a young family and early wakeups, I never took to the upkeep of straight razor shaving but I did become fairly adept with a fixed-handle Feather SS one long summer.

My strategy so far has been two mostly WTG passes with my ‘problem’ areas to master being my chin and Adam’s apple.
 

wintoid

Out of control
I’m also gatecrashing your party! Blessed with all this enforced time at home, I’ve been using a Feather DX all week. I wouldn’t say that I’m anywhere near proficient with it so it’s been a pleasure to spend fifteen mindful minutes (rather than my typical five or ten) shaving with lots of care and attention.

With a young family and early wakeups, I never took to the upkeep of straight razor shaving but I did become fairly adept with a fixed-handle Feather SS one long summer.

My strategy so far has been two mostly WTG passes with my ‘problem’ areas to master being my chin and Adam’s apple.
Great! The more the merrier. It's probably useful to others to see that those of us who try it don't die of blood loss :)

Having said that, I'm not sure I know of anyone who decided the Feather Artist Club would be their main razor.
 
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