FeatherStainless Steel Double Edge Razor AS D2

Update(s) will be at the bottom.This is my first safety razor. I'm a sucker for high quality. I'd rather buy a good thing once. The box is beautiful, the razor is hefty and very well made. I like that it isn't super mechanical, because mechanical parts tend to fail. Thats why I chose this over a butterfly style safety razor.Being my first safety razor I can say: it isnt too aggressive and it isn't hard to find the right angle for shaving. You do have to be mindful of the angle, because it stops cutting if you aren't. Honestly, thats a very forgiving fail-safe and likely one I can use to my advantage. It'll take some practice to get really good, but it's easy to use.I typically dry shave just to edge my facial hair. It does not tug anymore than my old Gillete fusion 5 blade razor. In fact, it tugs less; particularly on the "soul patch" of my beard. It did feel like there might have been a slight amount of razor burn, however I was not using the feather blades included in the box. I was gifted a cheaper brand. And again, I was dry shaving.I bought the Gillette over 8 years ago, and a refill of blades since then. The blades cost more than the razor and that is by design. They want you locked in so that you spend more money long term. With this style of razor I can buy any brand of replacement blade I want or like for very cheap. The ones I was gifted were $9 for 100 blades. At this price I can afford to change the blades more often and I'm not paying $30 for 6 like the Gillette. The alternative being disposable razors. And while they are cheap and cut well (better than Gillette TBH) I don't like throwing away all that plastic.Per blade and potentially per shave over a lifetime I still think this razor will be cheaper over all. Consider I spent ~180 to get started. With 105 blades that is only $1.72 per blade.Less waste, less money, quality product, good shaves. Worth the price.Short term update: I have started using this to shave my head once a week. I love the shaves and how smooth I feel afterwards.First shave I got razor burn on the back of my neck. Not on following shaves. I have gotten a few small nicks, but none of them even hurt. I tried my old Gillette fusion to see if it was better and immediately gave myself a nasty cut. I'm sold on this safety razor now.Tips: A good shaving soap or cream is extremely helpful for a comfortable shave. It reduces tugging and cuts cleaner. More frequent shaving reduces jamming of the blade with hair. Moisturizing (with jojoba oil) afterwards sooths any razor burn.Longterm update will follow eventually.

This is a very mild double edge razor with impeccable machining and balance. If you look around the internet at products being offered by Razorock, Oliworks, Merkur, Rockwell and others you will find a lot of good choices today in a stainless steel razor. So what's the case for this offering from Feather? I have razors from all those mid-level brands and this is the mildest shaver of all of them. "Mild" in this case means that it requires a very specific angle of use, but is very protective of your skin. It is great for those with sensitive skin, because you aren't dragging a blade across it at an aggressive angle. What this also means is that not every brand of blade works equally well in this holder. The first blade I tried, an Astra, didn't shave closely enough for me requiring multiple (unsuccessful) passes over the thickest part of my beard. I had to go (surprise) to a Feather (same company as the razor) to really get the most from the razor. Feather branded blades are famously sharp and thin -- even judged against other razor blades -- and they turn out to be a perfect match for this product. I am very happy with the resulting shave.Would I take a star off of the review because this razor works best in its own ecosystem of blades? No, because the fit and finish is very high, and because the razor does one thing very, very well. Who's it NOT for? Well, if you prefer an aggressive shave (say, a shave you get from a Rockwell No. 5 or 6 plate, or a Murkur 41), then this product was not designed for you. Or if you need an adjustable razor because you shave both your face and your noggin at different levels of aggressiveness, then this wouldn't be my first choice. But like a finely crafted chef's knife that does what it was designed for perfectly, but is not equally good at all tasks, this will last a lifetime and never disappoint, when used as intended.