Feather AC type straight razors

[gvw755]

This section still looks empty and so I will try to add more with the most famous of modern replaceable blade straight razors - the ones using the Feather AC type blades. My favorite of these type of razors is the Feather DX. This has a blade shape close to being a replaceable blade wedge type razor, however on very close inspection, there is a very slight concave to the blade sides.

For me, this provides a very good shave that closely resembles a straight razor shave without the stropping and honing. The shave is not quite as good as my Weck, however it easily makes me not want to pick up a regular straight razor for a regular night's shave.

I splurged a couple of years ago when the special edition wood version came out, and it is my favorite of the DX.


My second favorite DX is a vintage one that came out a long time ago, before they were named DX and before they had the pinch mechanism to change blades. This one was in bad condition and I had to restore it to something that actually works. The blade is release using the slide at the top of the razor. The blade shape can already be seen with this one meaning that there were already a high end and a regular line for the Feather razors even back then.



I encourage everyone to post something about your straight razors using the Feather AC blades.

 

[Snuff]

I have owned a lot of these, gone or all but one (custom Carbon) Feather Artist Club SS versions as I prefer them without the bulge, also gone are the Kai Excellia versions as I didn't like the square edges and the Kamisori shavettes because I found them to be a bit unbalanced.

What's left are:















Last but this one is going to leave the house in a upcoming den winter sale (it's getting crowded in here):

 

[efsk]

I have the Feather AC SS, western style, in pink. Not having used the DX I can't say anything about the difference. The SS does its work, does it well, and without effort. My only problem is, as I've only used it 3 times since 2016, it is basically a blade a shave. Has nothing to do with the razor though.

 

[gvw755]

@Snuff, so you were one of the lucky 125 to get the limited edition Kai.

I always wanted one, but at that time my finances were not that good (like within the past 10 years), and I was just starting my vegetable beds. How does that dimpled blade design shave, as I was seriously thinking of getting the wood version.

BTW - I have been looking for a Schick for a while now.

 

[Snuff]

That dimpled design shaves really good, the wooden one (Pakka) is the same blade but you know that. With the wooden the colors are all over the place, some very dark some very light (maybe best to ask for picture from the shop before ordering?). Btw I have a very BIG vegetable garden

The Schick is Wonderfull, might buy a kamisori style Schick in the future.

View attachment 9476

 

[DarkSpy]

CJB/Greager just came out with new razors and one of them looks just like that Kai dimpled design.
I'm assuming their razors are clones of the Kai (which I didn't know).

 

[mhharsta]

Every time I see the Schick, I want one.......

 

[gvw755]

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Do you have a link to it? They did come out with a pretty decent clone of the earlier Feather RG Kamisori a while back.

 

[DarkSpy]

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It was the official website (icjb.com). The site was all in korean, but there was a link with Greager written and another with 2019. The 2019 link was, basically, the catalog for this year with all their products but had the razors clearly marked with "New".
But all of a sudden the site is down. Seems like it doesn't even exist, which is weird because I was checking this information 2 days ago.

I still remember most of the model codes:

GR-100B - Kamisori razor we all know
GR-101B - Folding version with dimples
GR-102S - Folding that takes half DE
GR-Something without numbers - Kamisori that takes full DE blades (from the photos, this one seemed that it was all plastic)

I searched online and there are some Korean stores that sell them. The prices seem to be the same as the base model.
Also beware that the 101B and 102S models seem to be switched in one of the stores, that appears as first results, if you want to search for photos.

 

[gvw755]

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Thanks, the icjb.com site was back up when I searched just now. There seem to be two folders with handles resembling the Feather SS razors, but the one with the dimples was the 102S. I have not been able to find any store that carries them just yet. I will continue to look.

 

[gvw755]

This is not really a disposable blade razor that takes a Feather AC blade, but I am posting it here because it is more relevant to the discussion. I came across a Feather Kamisori a while back and it is an odd razor for many reasons:

1. Although Feather did make straight razors for a while, it never made a Kamisori. Feather stopped making straights in the early 1960s
2. I checked with Feather Japan and they responded very quickly and definitively that my razor was made by them, but for just one year in 1968
3. During that time (1967-70) Feather was in the process of introducing replaceable blade barber's razors, first in 1967 with razors using the Feather Cut blade (which resembled a Weck blade but with ridges) and in 1970 with the early model Feather AC razor (which was probably the one I showed above).



For some reason, in 1968, Feather made a traditional Kamisori complete with asymmetrical grind (and a blood gutter). I am not sure of the marketing strategy or why production halted a year later, but it is an interesting piece for my collection.

 

[DarkSpy]

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The mystery is solved, the site was down because they were updating it.
After some search and google translate help, I found the 2019 catalog where the GR-101B and GR-102S models are the other way around (

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).
This is going to cause some confusion.

 

[Snuff]

That’s the same handle as the kai captain, didn’t like that one

 

[Rudolf1]

you can easily put a handle on a non folding Cjb. Carefully cut the plastic handle (at the seams). The hole for the pin is already in it. So make a handle or grab one that you had, a micro screw and you're done.

 

[Rudolf1]

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Gmarket.co.kr also sells these, I notice that the GR101B has D.E blades and the GR102S has the BB20 (Feather barber blades) .. this can cause confusion when ordering. please note . shipping from Gmarket is expensive if you buy a single item. combine with, for example, a few boxes of blades, then this becomes more attractive in proportion.

 

[Tathlum]

Recently purchased a Chinese copycat of the Feather SS off eBay. For the price not bad. I get a very close comfortable shave. Will be looking to purchase the original in the near future.

 

[nongillette]

I think I've completed Schick Proline AC razor collection. Is there any I am not aware of?

 

[nongillette]

A Kai AC razor. Don't know its name. Guessing it came from a decade and some more ago. Definitely a predecessor to Kai Luffy or Kasho

 

[nongillette]

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Answering my own question. From what I've seen, there are at least 2 more Schick Proline AC shavettes although one looks more like a combination of BBR-S' scale and PL 500's blade.

 

[nongillette]

Feather Vintage AC razors. The upper one is made of plated metal. The other two are 18-8 SS models.