Learning to shave with the Feather Artist Club
- Thread starter wintoid
- Start date
wintoid
Out of control
Day 32 - Feather Artist Club DX with Schick Proline.... sort of...
My wife cut my hair last night. She always leaves the sideburns, and I sort those out with a DE. I have a mole near one sideburn, so I didn't fancy trying to work that out with the wider Feather AC blade, so I used a DE.
So 1 uneventful pass done with the DX, just WTG, and when I switched to the DE for the sideburns, I got tempted to try a pass of DE for comparison.
In fairness, the DE in question was a Wolfman WR2 1.55mm SB loaded with a Shark SS blade. Probably my most efficient razor, with my smoothest blade. Well I did 1 pass with the Wolfman, mostly ATG because I've missed being able to go ATG with the Feather AC. After that there was no point. The Wolfman really shaved me far closer in that one pass than the Feather has ever done in 3 passes.
Food for thought.
My wife cut my hair last night. She always leaves the sideburns, and I sort those out with a DE. I have a mole near one sideburn, so I didn't fancy trying to work that out with the wider Feather AC blade, so I used a DE.
So 1 uneventful pass done with the DX, just WTG, and when I switched to the DE for the sideburns, I got tempted to try a pass of DE for comparison.
In fairness, the DE in question was a Wolfman WR2 1.55mm SB loaded with a Shark SS blade. Probably my most efficient razor, with my smoothest blade. Well I did 1 pass with the Wolfman, mostly ATG because I've missed being able to go ATG with the Feather AC. After that there was no point. The Wolfman really shaved me far closer in that one pass than the Feather has ever done in 3 passes.
Food for thought.
UKRob
Forum GOD!
I think the only conclusion you can draw is that your technique with the Feather is not there yet. My experience with straight razors is that they shave equally as close or even closer than a DE razor. There was an interesting debate on another forum a few years ago when one poster was of the opinion that any razor with a safety bar (open or closed) could not shave as close as a straight. I countered that if you are taking off hairs at skin level then both guarded and unguarded blades will shave equally as close. He then came back with a theory of the ‘squeegee’ effect of a straight i.e. having the blade directly against the skin makes whiskers pop out from below skin level which are then cut closer than a guarded blade can get. His point was that the safety bar also acts as a ‘squeegee’ but the blade gap means it doesn’t cut quite as close.
I think there is something in this in that a good shave with either type of razor will feel just as close, but the straight will last longer before stubble is noticeable.
wintoid
Out of control
One thing's for sure, using a straight of any type really makes you think about it. With no guard, and no pressure on a face that is curved, if you shave your skin without stretching, you're only putting a tiny bit of blade in contact with the skin. Increase the pressure to get the flatter skin, and you're going to hurt yourself. Thus the quest for flat skin via stretching becomes more important. I guess this was a job the safety bar was taking care of for me, without me having to think about it. It also makes me think that riding the bar (steep) must always beat riding the cap (shallow), surely.
I've experienced an incredibly close shave from a Feather blade before in razors like the Claymore and General, so I know it's possible. You're right, I must not be achieving the best shave possible yet. However, I wonder how much of that is because I am unable to go properly ATG without a guard.
UKRob
Forum GOD!
Once you get more confidence in having a blade in direct contact you will begin to relax and enjoy the shave more. Although, like you, I stretch to avoid the issues you describe, I find that when I’m touching up e.g. ATG on my neck and cheeks, I stop stretching and let the razor move up the skin with no harm. That’s when you get the really close effect.
wintoid
Out of control
Do straight shavers ever use the "bullfrog" technique? I'm thinking it might be a way to get those pesky ATG passes done on my neck, but nervous that the slack skin would be really easy to slice.
UKRob
Forum GOD!
That’s a new one on me so I can’t advise you. What I would say is don’t over-think it - after all there was a time when a straight was the only tool available and there must have been lots of men with heavy growth and/or irregular growth patterns who managed OK. Remember as well that a true straight razor is more forgiving than a manufactured blade - but it’s all to do with the angle. Get it right and you’re fine, but get it too open and you will cut yourself.
Last thought, try to move the blade before touching your skin - you as less likely to dig the blade that way.
wintoid
Out of control
Day 33 - Feather Artist Club DX with Schick Proline.... sort of...
Sigh. I may have to back away from the Prolines for a bit. I was spurred on by @UKRob saying a straight should be able to give as good or better a shave than a DE. It shows how much a bit of support from the sidelines is helping me. I wanted to get back on the horse today.
I decided that today's experiment would be to try altering my grip. I've done most of the shaves recorded here in what I call 1:3 grip, where my index finger is on the other side of the handle from the other three fingers. Most people would do 2:2 or even 3:1. My grip seems to be unusual, so I wanted to see whether changing the grip would change the shave.
WTG - no problem
XTG - little nick under the chin, disappointing
WTG - half way through I got a painful cut on my cheek. I say cut. It didn't actually bleed at all, and I can see no evidence of it, but it did hurt. I know, what a wimp!
Even so, I took that opportunity to switch back to the DE for the remaining (moustache and chin) areas of the third pass.
My feeling is that I'm not ready for the Prolines. The guarded blades have a very good record with me, and the Super has been less comfortable but hasn't cut me. I think tomorrow I will go back to the Super. I'll probably stick to my 1:3 grip too.
Sigh. I may have to back away from the Prolines for a bit. I was spurred on by @UKRob saying a straight should be able to give as good or better a shave than a DE. It shows how much a bit of support from the sidelines is helping me. I wanted to get back on the horse today.
I decided that today's experiment would be to try altering my grip. I've done most of the shaves recorded here in what I call 1:3 grip, where my index finger is on the other side of the handle from the other three fingers. Most people would do 2:2 or even 3:1. My grip seems to be unusual, so I wanted to see whether changing the grip would change the shave.
WTG - no problem
XTG - little nick under the chin, disappointing
WTG - half way through I got a painful cut on my cheek. I say cut. It didn't actually bleed at all, and I can see no evidence of it, but it did hurt. I know, what a wimp!
Even so, I took that opportunity to switch back to the DE for the remaining (moustache and chin) areas of the third pass.
My feeling is that I'm not ready for the Prolines. The guarded blades have a very good record with me, and the Super has been less comfortable but hasn't cut me. I think tomorrow I will go back to the Super. I'll probably stick to my 1:3 grip too.
For a long time I aimed at str8 only shaves and then I decided there is nothing wrong with 2-razor-shaves. I get by far the best shaves with a str8 followed by a ATG pass, sometimes with a DE, sometimes with a SE. I then tried going back to all str8, all DE and all SE shaves and nothing gives me the wonderful shaves of 2-razor-shaves. IME str8 razors get 95% of the job done with very smooth and pleasurable results, better than any other method. Going after the remaining 5% with the str8 means higher risk of cuts and irritation, so I go after the remaining 5% with an ATG pass with a safety razor. Works for me.
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wintoid
Out of control
There's definitely some logic to that. In the past, I've had times when there were several DEs loaded up and ready to go on my sink, and I've done different passes with different razors, with good results. At the moment, I'm so far down the learning curve, though, that I need to keep working on the AC system.
wintoid
Out of control
Day 34 - Feather Artist Club DX with Kai Protouch MG
A backwards step? Maybe, but the bits I find hard to shave with an unguarded blade are also hard to shave with a guarded blade, and I need to learn how to deal with them.
Today was three passes, WTG, XTG, XTG and then some cleanup on the chin-to-cheek bits on either side of my mouth. I was far braver with the cleanup than I would have been with a Proline. It didn't really work, so I learned something.
I also paid more attention than usual to facial expressions, instead of relying on my off-hand. I also tried several different stretch techniques to try to get the hollow on my left lower neck, again not entirely successfully.
The overall shave was extremely comfortable, and close enough, even if it doesn't compare to the squeaky smoothness of an aggressive DE shave.
A backwards step? Maybe, but the bits I find hard to shave with an unguarded blade are also hard to shave with a guarded blade, and I need to learn how to deal with them.
Today was three passes, WTG, XTG, XTG and then some cleanup on the chin-to-cheek bits on either side of my mouth. I was far braver with the cleanup than I would have been with a Proline. It didn't really work, so I learned something.
I also paid more attention than usual to facial expressions, instead of relying on my off-hand. I also tried several different stretch techniques to try to get the hollow on my left lower neck, again not entirely successfully.
The overall shave was extremely comfortable, and close enough, even if it doesn't compare to the squeaky smoothness of an aggressive DE shave.
wintoid
Out of control
Day 35 - Feather Artist Club DX with Kai Protouch MG
From today, things change slightly. My goal was to get good enough with a Feather during lockdown that I could continue learning post-lockdown. I think I'm at that stage now. With a guarded blade, I can shave with some confidence, and with an unguarded blade I can shave carefully at weekends. That means I can start to work the Feather into my more usual rotation of DEs.
I'm lucky to have a decent selection of DEs to choose from, and I enjoy using them. I don't want them to sit there rusting away. I also don't want to lose what I've learned over the last month.
I thought a bit about what @lloydrm said in a previous post, and it seems to me that I could continue to learn with a hybrid approach. I don't have to use the Feather for all 3 passes all the time. That also means I can have 2 quick DE passes, and a slower FAC pass, which means I could potentially fit in the shave into my normal morning routine.
So today, I started with 2 passes ATG/ATG with a DE I've been meaning to spend more time with, and then a final WTG pass with the Feather. To be fair, I was so closely shaved after 2 DE passes that I don't think the Feather had much work to do.
Tomorrow I will take yet another leaf from the @lloydrm book and start with the Feather pass, and finish with the DE pass. I'm guessing some of the people who have been following this thread may find this less interesting. I don't know the final destination. It could be as @JamieM said, that this is a prelude to me getting into straight razors. I might go back to DE or SE, or I might keep alternating shaves, or doing multiple razor shaves. For me, it's all good fun.
From today, things change slightly. My goal was to get good enough with a Feather during lockdown that I could continue learning post-lockdown. I think I'm at that stage now. With a guarded blade, I can shave with some confidence, and with an unguarded blade I can shave carefully at weekends. That means I can start to work the Feather into my more usual rotation of DEs.
I'm lucky to have a decent selection of DEs to choose from, and I enjoy using them. I don't want them to sit there rusting away. I also don't want to lose what I've learned over the last month.
I thought a bit about what @lloydrm said in a previous post, and it seems to me that I could continue to learn with a hybrid approach. I don't have to use the Feather for all 3 passes all the time. That also means I can have 2 quick DE passes, and a slower FAC pass, which means I could potentially fit in the shave into my normal morning routine.
So today, I started with 2 passes ATG/ATG with a DE I've been meaning to spend more time with, and then a final WTG pass with the Feather. To be fair, I was so closely shaved after 2 DE passes that I don't think the Feather had much work to do.
Tomorrow I will take yet another leaf from the @lloydrm book and start with the Feather pass, and finish with the DE pass. I'm guessing some of the people who have been following this thread may find this less interesting. I don't know the final destination. It could be as @JamieM said, that this is a prelude to me getting into straight razors. I might go back to DE or SE, or I might keep alternating shaves, or doing multiple razor shaves. For me, it's all good fun.
Cheesepiece
Stickler
It's all good fun is right.
Having recently jumped back into FAC shaves I've found there's not much re-learning to be had. I'd done maybe a year or more of DE only and straight back into close, comfortable shaves with no cuts when I was prompted by this thread to consider the shavettes again, with all this new found time on my hands.
Be promiscuous in your razor selection but don't, like me, stop reaching for the FAC altogether. Unless you want, in a year or more's time, to use the FAC again and wonder after another lovely and close shave why you've put it off so long, like I did.
Re-discovery was rewarding. Thank you for the thread.
Having recently jumped back into FAC shaves I've found there's not much re-learning to be had. I'd done maybe a year or more of DE only and straight back into close, comfortable shaves with no cuts when I was prompted by this thread to consider the shavettes again, with all this new found time on my hands.
Be promiscuous in your razor selection but don't, like me, stop reaching for the FAC altogether. Unless you want, in a year or more's time, to use the FAC again and wonder after another lovely and close shave why you've put it off so long, like I did.
Re-discovery was rewarding. Thank you for the thread.
wintoid
Out of control
Thanks, that's useful feedback. So it's like riding a bike. You never forget!