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Natterings of a Nasal Barbarian

jgreenepa said:
Thanks, Chris, but ‘very’ doesn‘t clarify your meaning for this 73 yr old curmudgeon. It’s definitely a cool little razor? In any case to launch tomorrow’s shave I‘ll be shaving with a new straight, the Feather SS Barber’s Razor, a gift from my oldest son who traded up to a Feather DX. I‘ll be using a Schick Krona, the razor I shaved with for 50 yrs until it broke.
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Yes, you guessed correctly!

Congrats on the Feather SS. I love mine! I’ve done the vast majority of my 400 open blade shaves with it. Just take it slow and careful; you’ll do fine!
 
Dave in KY said:
Jeff I May need your help with an AutoStrop razor patent April 9,1912 and swing front from pics. Not sure what model it is or blade it will take to use. I'll get pics when I can......
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Sure, Dave, whatever I can do. It sounds like a B model, but if the handle isn’t removable it’s an A model.
 
GearNoir said:
Yes, you guessed correctly!

Congrats on the Feather SS. I love mine! I’ve done the vast majority of my 400 open blade shaves with it. Just take it slow and careful; you’ll do fine!
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Thanks, Chris! I’ve been shaving with AC razors since the Cobra Classic. I like never having to strop or hone! Is there much difference between the SS and DX? My son now has a DX and claims its shave is closer to a genuine straight. Matters not to me. Many of my friends like you have been shaving with the SS for years and love it. I’m looking forward to my shave tomorrow with it. Have already loaded a Feather Super.
 
Dave in KY said:
I'll know when it arrives
www.ebay.com

Vintage Auto Strop Safety Razor | eBay

Vintage Auto Strop Safety Razor. Condition is Used. Shipped with USPS First Class Package.
www.ebay.com
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From looking at the pics, it appears that you are the proud new owner of a VC1. That‘s an extremely versatile razor because you can use a modified Gem blade or a Feather FHS-10. The beauty of these razors is that if you can get your hands on a Valet Strop, you can easily expect 20+ shaves per blade. If you like we can set up a Zoom and I can walk you through the razor operation, how to modify a Gem for it and any other questions that might occur to you.. Let me know! Stay healthy and safe!
 
jgreenepa said:
From looking at the pics, it appears that you are the proud new owner of a VC1. That‘s an extremely versatile razor because you can use a modified Gem blade or a Feather FHS-10. The beauty of these razors is that if you can get your hands on a Valet Strop, you can easily expect 20+ shaves per blade. If you like we can set up a Zoom and I can walk you through the razor operation, how to modify a Gem for it and any other questions that might occur to you.. Let me know! Stay healthy and safe!
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Thanks Jeff, I'll be in touch. Not the cleanest but a good entry for me at $8 shipped 👍
 
jgreenepa said:
Is there much difference between the SS and DX?
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The SS is a little lighter than the DX; the DX has a more machined look and feel versus the SS’ matte MIM look; the SS is a bit easier to use and IMO a smoother shaver because of the “lips” on the blade holder, though the DX does allow more variety of blade angle because it does not have the lips; I’d call the shave of both similar to a straight, but not quite the same in feel.
 
jgreenepa said:
Thanks, Chris! I’ve been shaving with AC razors since the Cobra Classic. I like never having to strop or hone! Is there much difference between the SS and DX? My son now has a DX and claims its shave is closer to a genuine straight. Matters not to me. Many of my friends like you have been shaving with the SS for years and love it. I’m looking forward to my shave tomorrow with it. Have already loaded a Feather Super.
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The DX is more like a Actual straight razor in terms of bevel angle shape, ETC, It, like a straight requires a good stretching of the skin and a shallower angle of attack. The SS is more like a DE insofar as it "pre-stretches the skin a bit for you hence that small hump before the blade. The SS is NOTHING like a true open blade straight. hen you move in that direction it will requires you to adjust some things but it will place you on a "good habit path. It is a great transition to the DX, much more affordable and does not require as much concentration as either a DX or a regular straight. Good luck on your journey
 
BarberDave said:
The DX is more like a Actual straight razor in terms of bevel angle shape, ETC, It, like a straight requires a good stretching of the skin and a shallower angle of attack. The SS is more like a DE insofar as it "pre-stretches the skin a bit for you hence that small hump before the blade. The SS is NOTHING like a true open blade straight. hen you move in that direction it will requires you to adjust some things but it will place you on a "good habit path. It is a great transition to the DX, much more affordable and does not require as much concentration as either a DX or a regular straight. Good luck on your journey
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Thanks, Dave! I'm already shaving with a Dovo. My issue is I'm old and have both Parkinson's and Rheumatoid Arthritis. I've pretty much got the Parkinson's licked, but repetitive motions required for stropping and honing are not conducive to a happy life for me. So thus my interest in Feather razors. I currently am shaving with a Dovo Special with no great issues. Will shaving with a Feather SS set me back? If I never really plan to use traditional straights, then my eventual move to a DX should not be an issue. I also have his Feather Kamisori SS. That is going up on the shelf until I feel I have a better handle on the western SS.
 
GearNoir said:
The SS is a little lighter than the DX; the DX has a more machined look and feel versus the SS’ matte MIM look; the SS is a bit easier to use and IMO a smoother shaver because of the “lips” on the blade holder, though the DX does allow more variety of blade angle because it does not have the lips; I’d call the shave of both similar to a straight, but not quite the same in feel.
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Thanks, Chris!
 
jgreenepa said:
Thanks, Dave! I'm already shaving with a Dovo. My issue is I'm old and have both Parkinson's and Rheumatoid Arthritis. I've pretty much got the Parkinson's licked, but repetitive motions required for stropping and honing are not conducive to a happy life for me. So thus my interest in Feather razors. I currently am shaving with a Dovo Special with no great issues. Will shaving with a Feather SS set me back? If I never really plan to use traditional straights, then my eventual move to a DX should not be an issue. I also have his Feather Kamisori SS. That is going up on the shelf until I feel I have a better handle on the western SS.
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The SS should give you then exactly what you are looking for without any worry very safe to use
 
BarberDave said:
The SS should give you then exactly what you are looking for without any worry very safe to use
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Still a bit nervous about the Kamisori SS. My son gave me both the Feather folding SS and the Kamisori model. He is a committed Kamisori shaver and had purchased the Kamisori DX. I got two for one, but even the two SS models together cost less according to Ben than his DX Kamisori. I hope he likes it, cause he's not getting the the folding SS back. I really like it.
 
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SOTD TUESDAY, JULY 1, 2020

My first shave for July also featured my first outing with the Feather SS Barber's razor. Both the Feather SS and DX models use AC blades. For todays shave I loaded a Feather Super blade which I also use in my AC safety razors. The weight and heft differ from the Dovo as does the seeming cutting power. I found the Feather razor to be much sharper than the Dovo. What I also really like about these two SS razors my son gifted me is that there is none of the stropping/honing type maintenance required. All I need do is drop in a fresh blade and I'm off to the races for at least five to seven shaves. So it is in essence, a no-comb (either solid or open) blade replaceable straight razor. Now the Kamisori SS that was part of the package is going up on the shelf for now. According to my son, it's the same blade holder attached to a straight handle. When he upgraded it was to the DX Kamisori. That is his preferred straight razor. I may give it a go later this month, but for now I'll be shaving my Mug with both the Feather and the Dovo. For the dome shave I have returned to my trusty Schick Krona, although the model I shaved with for 50 years wasn't the Gold Centennial Edition razor I shaved with today. I selected one of my vanishing Sharp Stars for the Krona.

The theme at TSD this month is "Shave like an Emperor". In the spirit of Imperial Shaving I'll be limiting my shave soaps (MWF, Nuavia Pannacrema Blu, and Haslinger Schafmilch) to areas formerly occupied by the Roman Empire (England, Italy, and Gaul). My justification for continuing to use my beloved Nancy Boy Shave Cream is that it's just the best shave cream on the planet and thus qualifies for the Imperial label. The brush selected, my Omega Pro48 Boar is of Italian manufacture and thus qualifies as well, besides being my favorite Boar brush. Given that this was my first run with the new-to-me Feather SS razor, I debated whether I should limit its use to a single WTG pass. It did not feel like the Dovo, but it did shave beautifully. So after that first pass I began my second ATG pass and experienced a very minor set-down error as I began my non-dominant right cheek. Since it was minor I finished the pass which resulted in a thin stream of blood trailing down the cheek. Of course, this was when dear SWMBO came breezing in, took one look at me, and sweetly inquired why a tremor-ridden person would purposely choose to shave with a non-safety razor? I just smiled and winked at her. Her response was one we're probably all familiar with, "MEN!!!" I settled for a very close DFS. Ce qui sera sera!

Shaving the noggin with the Gold Centennial Krona was like putting on an extremely comfortable pair of old shoes! It just felt right! I guess it should after 50 years of Schick Krona shaving. My body went into automatic mode. After whipping up a thick, slick Nancy Boy lather and applying it to the dome, I had at it. The shave felt surprisingly good. I remember thinking that I never was able to get as close a shave as I do now with my other razors. I don't believe it's this particular NOS model. It launched into its own version of the 'buttering toast' song as it sheared away my stubble. In fact that first pass was remarkably close. I guess I may not have focused on my technique the way I do nowadays. In those pre-retirement days I was generally prepping for a meeting or looking to complete what I then considered a daily, not-so-pleasant maintenance task. In any case, that first WTG pass pretty much obliterated yesterday's stubble. The second ATG pass consisted of nothing more than some selected buffing. As I was shaving with it I was surprised at the closeness of that first pass. I guess I've just gotten better at this shaving business. To conclude, what I ended up with was a lovely, relaxed shave which reached the DFS+++ overall. I feel cool, clean, and my scalp is velveteen!

RAZOR: Feather SS Razor (Mug), Schick Centennial Gold Krona (Noggin)
BLADE: Feather Super AC (Mug), Sharp Star DE (Noggin)
PREP: Cold water rinse
BRUSH: Omega Pro48 Boar
CREAM: Nancy Boy Signature w/ 6 drops of M-Bomb
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with Glyce Glycerin soap followed by Humphreys Lilac WH and Royall Lyme AS. Finished with Nancy Boy Signature Scent Cooling After-Shave Gel.
 
Dave in KY said:
Start with a feather pro guard Jeff but I think you'll have this licked (y)
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Thanks, Dave! I used a Feather Super in the folding SS today. The only AC blades I have are Supers and Prolines. My son is going to drop off some Kai Milds tomorrow for the SS Kamisori. So it looks like I’ll take it for a spin this Friday, hopefully without losing an ear or nose in the process!
 
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