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Feather SS clone pass around.....maybe?

Totally forgot to post my thoughts from Friday's shave. Sorry about that guys! Here is what happened...

Razor: Feather SS Clone
Blade: Feather Professional AC Proguard (2nd Shave)
Razor: Merkur Progress
Blade: Wizamet Super Iridium Extra Stainless (4th Shave)
Soap/Cream: Mystic Water - Coconut Sandalwood
Brush: Stirling 24mm Fan in Best Badger
The Penultimate Aftershave: Thayers Peach Witch Hazel
The Ultimate Aftershave: Fine - Platinum

Loved my shave yesterday so much I decided to do it again! Had really good results and I didn't have the blunt force trauma (okay not really) to go with the shave. The only different was that I switched out brushes and used a badger today. I was a little better with the feather clone today but I am still really uncoordinated with it. I will say that while I really appreciate the guarded blade...I don't think it really can be used to learn proper technique. I found myself going in at angles that I never would have if I had a normal AC blade in it. That being said...It definitely lets me experience a straight type shave without the error of ruining my face.

A pass with the clone and three from the Progress and man my face is smooth! A splash or two...ah heck...who am I kidding. A few glugs of Fine Platinum and I am feeling and smelling right again!

Though I am still unwieldy with the SS Clone. I can definitely see the benefit of mastering this guy. And without the daily maintenance with the straight...this is a definite grab and go and get shaving razor. With my inexperience of using straights...I am not sure if I would be able to tell the difference in shaves between this guy and a regular Feather SS. So with the very reasonable price of the Clone...I would be more apt to buy the clone until I became more proficient.

Looking forward to trying out the Kami Clone this week.
 
I am completely negligent of this thread and I apologize Cadre! Shaved with the Kai Captain clone yesterday and today. Here is what I wrote...

Razor: Kai Captain Kamisori Clone
Blade: Feather Professional AC Proguard (3rd Shave)
Razor: Merkur Progress
Blade: Wizamet Super Iridium Extra Stainless (5th Shave)
Soap/Cream: Declaration Grooming in collaboration with Chatillon Lux - Vide Poche
Brush: TSC Member Brush...the Luca Brasi...in Best Badger by Eric Sorrentino @Smattayu
The Penultimate Aftershave: Thayers Peach Witch Hazel
The Ultimate Aftershave: Chatillon Lux - Vide Poche

08262019.jpg


Used the Kai Captain Kamisori clone that @gvw755 is loaning the Cadre in @The Monkey 's passaround! This is my first go around with a kamisori style razor...and I have to say...it is so much easier to use than a typical straight! So much more control! That being said...I still managed a whole mess of weepers. I lilely have some pretty poor technique.

Razor: Kai Captain Kamisori Clone
Blade: Feather Professional AC Proguard (4th Shave)
Razor: Merkur Progress
Blade: Wizamet Super Iridium Extra Stainless (6th Shave)
Soap/Cream: CBL Premium Soap - Oud Minerale
Brush: TSC 1st Anniversary Brush by Eric Sorrentino @Smattayu
The Penultimate Aftershave: Thayers Peach Witch Hazel
The Ultimate Aftershave: Fine Accouterments - Platinum

08272019.jpg


Took the Kai Captain Kamisori Cloe out for a spin again. And while I feel a bit more confident with this style...I also feel like I am making a ton more mistakes. I guess that is all part of the learning process. A pass with the Kami and three more with the progress. I'm sitting at DFS and I have no qualms about it. A few glugs of Platinum and I KNOW I will get some compliments on how I smell today!

I will have to say...that while the Kami style is so much easier to wield...I find myself doing ridiculous things! If it wan't for the guarded blade...instead of weepers...I would have full on lacerations! I do think this Kai Clone is something that I would be willing to purchase, especially at this price point. But before I even remotely consider the real thing...I definitely need to get better.

I am likely to get another shave out of this (probably on Thursday so i can let my face heal up a bit) and then packed up and on to the next victim participant. I'll get the list posted in a second!
 
Updated list. Looks like you are on deck @GearNoir

1. gvw755 - Complete
2. Dave in KY - Complete
3. Spider - Complete
4. uacowboy - Complete
5. dangerousdon - In Possession
6. GearNoir - On Deck
7. Luecke3262
 
Lemme just preface this conversation by saying...

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Ok, so it wasn’t that bad...but it wasn’t the best either.
Now the Feather SS clone...oh boy. Visual comparison, side by side with the real thing, you can definitely tell which is the fake. Luckily, about the only QC areas they probably bothered to check were where it counts...the blade clip (firm enough hold) and the area where the blade edge extends out of the clip for cutting (pretty darn straight guard area). I think they also got the weight pretty similar, hard to tell with the wood scales on. Overall, it looks like the real thing, just sloppy and a little bit less grippy (seemed like a smoother mould/metal was used). The most questionable parts had to do with the inside of the razor. The sliding “door” is a bit too easy to open, and the tension spring is not firmly seated.

Now, the most important difference over everything else...the clone has less blade reveal. It’s a minute difference, but noticeable enough to the naked eye, in turn meaning that the shave could be drastically affected. I knew, as I was setting up the razor for use, this might cause trouble.

So the shave today? I had to abort after pushing through the first pass and switch to the Schick backup. Once I found the angle the clone was actually going to cut at, the angle felt way too steep and tuggy. I was using and am used to using a Feather Pro blade mind you. I don’t think the Pro is meant to cut at this angle. If you could find a way to uniformly extend the blade a little more, I think the shave would be better. The slicker material of the clone, while not nice for holding, did feel smoother/slicker against the skin to be shaved, which is nice.

I’m going to give it the benefit of the doubt and try again tomorrow with a different soap, and we’ll see how it goes.
 
Chose to use Cella this morning, a little bit more of an average shave soap. Things were a little bit better from yesterday’s shave, but not by much. There was less tugging, so there’s that. It feels like there’s two settings for this clone...comfortable but inefficient and rough but more efficient. The forced shave angle for the efficiency needed to come close to matching the real SS is just plainly too steep. I figured most folks would opt to have the smoother shave, so I kept it there for the most part. It did cut, but not well and not close; there was a lot left behind. I did get through two passes this time, without incident. Decided not to press my luck and swapped out for the Schick, which took on its monumental cleanup job with ease. In all, it’s looking like the SS clone is not a worthwhile investment.

I want to go ahead switch to the Kai clone for a bit next and see how that does for a couple shaves. I have the feeling it will be better...I hope anyway.
 
I found the extra blade exposure using the Feather pro super blade made the angle much more acceptable.
 
Now that’s a proper clone!

Transferred the Feather Pro our of the Feather clone this morning and into the Kai clone. The quality/care of this clone’s make over the Feather clone is very noticeable. It’s innards might still lack a little finesse, but outwardly it’s pretty clean! One side of the sliding clip panel allows for a tad bit of uneven exposure, but I did not feel that it affected the shave and the rest seems like properly tight tolerances and finish.

I chose a soap of above average quality for the first go around - CBL 50 SoV. I’ve never used a kamisori type open blade before, but I can see why some might find it attractive over a folding type when first learning. I pretty much mimicked the same strokes I would use with a folder, just adjusted for the handle type of the kami. Because the hold on the kami makes you want to grip it a bit more “full fisted”, I did have to be careful with pressure. That might be one area a folding type has its advantages, it forces a more delicate finger hold.

As for the shave itself, it simply did what I felt like it should. I completed 2 passes. It didn’t force a steep angle, I did not cut myself (surprising for a first time out), and the shave was fairly smooth. Though the materials are “inferior” I’ll say that I appreciated the slicker finish and rubberized grip of the clone over the machine finish and hard plastic scales of Feather DX folder I tried a few weeks ago.

As it stands, if QC is consistent, this might be a good investment to get into the AC style open blade game! Looking forward to another shave with it tomorrow.
 
Another nice, incident-less shave with the Kai clone!

Brought out another favorite CBL soap and went to town. 2 fairly smooth and relatively safe feeling passes with the Kai clone. Final pass and clean up with the Schick. Come Monday’s video, I may be ready to try a little ATG with this clone to give it the full test. You do have to be a little more angle-aware with the Kai clone than the Feather SS, but I might say the comfort level is actually pretty similar. The Feather clone I’ve pretty much cleaned up and put away sadly.
 
Not much to report on the shave today, just another good performance from all the elements (Kai clone). Only one little nick on the mustache area from a sliver too much pressure.

Going to take tomorrow off from open blades, but will likely shave with one for Monday’s video!
 
After a slight delay, and one last shave with the Kai clone Saturday, finally made it to the post and they’re on their way to @Luecke3262!
 
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