Feather HiStainless Platinum double edged blade review
The general consensus I’ve read on the Feather Platinum blades is that they are without question the sharpest blades available. The general recommendation I’ve heard is to use the less sharp blades first and gradually work your way up.
After just over two months and the ability to get consistent clean shaves 5 days running with a Derby Extra blade, I figured it was finally time to try out the Feathers.
As a novice double edged shaver, Feather blades’ reputation of being the sharpest automatically meant in my mind that I’d get the cleanest, closest shave yet.
Boy was I wrong.
1. Sharpness
Using the Feather blades made me question my perception of sharpness. I’m not sure if they were just so sharp they dragged across my hair or if they were just simply not suited for the Merkur HD.
My first shave with a Feather (I stomached three shaves in total before giving up), was scratchy and draggy right from the start. There was no slicing through the whiskers or gliding over my skin, there was only irritation and bloodshed.
I got five wonderfully clean shaves from a Derby blade this last week (just to remind myself what a good shave felt like) but couldn’t get one out of a Feather Hi-Stainless. Make of that what you will.
2. Durability
Seeing as I couldn’t get a decent shave out of these blades I have no idea how long they last. The three shaves I managed to force myself through were all consistently terrible but didn’t seem to get any worse, although I don’t think that was possible.
Classic Shaving states that “typically a single blade can deliver 8-12 close, comfortable shaves”.
I know Feather blades work for some people so if they do, a week/week and a half of shaving is probably what you’re looking at durability wise.
3. Irritation
Where do I start?
My tougher areas, the right side neck and upper lip were destroyed by this blade. By the third shave I was so paranoid about my pressure the blade was barely touching my skin but still managed to whip up a bloody, weeping storm of carnage.
Nothing I could seemed to have any impact on the blade, it just wouldn’t cut my stubble cleanly. Even with the grain was horribly scratchy and left me with ‘hamburger patty’ skin.
Not any time soon but in the future I’ll try another one of these blades but if I can’t get past the first stroke without irritating my skin then the box is going straight into the bin.
August 15th, 2009 at 4:41 pm Citizen-D(Quote)
It’s been a while since I tried a Feather and I know I preferred other blades over it, but don’t remember it being carnage. Might have to get them out and give them another go.
August 17th, 2009 at 11:41 pm Tommysinside(Quote)
I guess I lucked out because the Feathers were the first blades I tried in my recently bought vintage Schick Krona and so far they’ve been a match made in heaven. My beard is very tough and super fast growing and my skin is super sensitive (horrible combination when using my old Mach 3) but the Feathers glide beautifully over my skin with such a satisfying noise and feel and leave my face amazingly smooth.
I highly rate the Feather.
August 18th, 2009 at 12:37 pm ozsoapbox(Quote)
Yeah I’m thinking the sharper blades (Astra + feathers) + my beard type + the Merkur HD might be a bad combination.
My stubble is quite tough and having used a derby all of last week it just works
. I’ve still got the Merkurs to try from next week and then I’ll import some more foreign blades to review but I’m probably going to settle with the derbys in the end.
The thing with blade reviews is that everyone’s different, reading them gives you some idea but yeah definately try as many as you can before committing to a brand.
September 5th, 2009 at 2:51 pm justsomejavaguy(Quote)
It seems to vary so much from person to person. I get that horrible “draggy” feeling from several brands of blade, but not the Feather. The feather was the only blade that ever gave me the “hamburger patty” skin, where it felt and looked like I had taken off too many layers of skin.
But since I have lightened my touch a little, I’ve found no other blade that cuts as smoothly or as closely as the feather and in only two passes. It’s the only blade I use now (in my Merkur HD).
September 5th, 2009 at 5:01 pm ozsoapbox(Quote)
Yeah it’s amazing the variance between person to person. I’ve sampled each of the blades in my variety pack and I’m off work next week so I’m going to give the blades I didn’t like another go during the week and see what happens.
Will be interesting to see if I get along with any of them any better, otherwise it’s INTO THE BIN!
Ordering a sample pack from overseas with even more blades to try in the meantime
October 24th, 2010 at 10:24 am Altair(Quote)
Feathers are top notch in my book just about anything else fails at giving me a close shave specially on my neck area. EJ89L