10 Feather Razor Blades NEW Hi-stainless Double Edge

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,...Read more

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).