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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2015 18:22:56 GMT -6
I suppose a few people around here know I favor the Auto Strop/Valet razors. I shave with them and collect them. I also collect those auto strop copies and clones (mostly cheap imitations) that you happen upon in Waits now and again. All great fun. Well, of course I'd also be interested in the Japanese successor to the Valet, made by Feather. The manufacture of the Valet-type razor by Feather, of course, allows us to have access today to modern blades for our Valets that take those proprietary blades. Well, it took me a long time to finally track down and purchase my first Feather SE razor. It took a year and a half, there abouts, but that's a long time when you really, really want something. Since then, I've acquired two others. One of these has found a prime spot in my primary razor rotation for reasons I'll discuss later. Anyway, before coughing up the pictures let me say that there is nothing particularly notable about the Feathers beside their scarcity in the U.S. They are pretty much slightly updated Valets. Anyway, I'll let you decide. Here are the three I have: I'll feature each of them a bit in subsequent posts to this thread.
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ShadowsDad
Gem Star
None boring shaver!!
"It's not the bow, it's the Indian"
Posts: 4,534
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Post by ShadowsDad on Feb 28, 2015 18:32:57 GMT -6
I knew they existed, but have never seen one. Come on! We need more pix than that! Please?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2015 18:49:33 GMT -6
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2015 18:57:54 GMT -6
The second one I acquired was well used. The strop that came with it tells the story: Yes, those are stitches... Anyway, this one has some plating loss, but it also combines two features that I favor in my Valets: the runner-guard guard and the gate-type blade holder. As such, this above any other razor I own would be a replate cadidate. With blade installed:
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2015 19:02:46 GMT -6
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Post by PJGH on Feb 28, 2015 19:04:21 GMT -6
Not only one, but two! That is some skill hunting! Both open comb and 'Runner Guard' makes a lovely pair, and interesting that they still have VALET on the inside of the gate. Thank you for the detailed pictures - I've looked and looked for any pictures of these and there you are with them
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ShadowsDad
Gem Star
None boring shaver!!
"It's not the bow, it's the Indian"
Posts: 4,534
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Post by ShadowsDad on Feb 28, 2015 23:47:22 GMT -6
Thanks!
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norfolkdick
Master Shaver
Captain of the Razor Blades
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Post by norfolkdick on Mar 1, 2015 1:54:37 GMT -6
Greetings Kevin
That's a really informative post and the first time I have ever seen a picture of one of these razors face on. You are the only person I know of who actually owns one of these razors. To actually own three probably makes you the Western authority on these razors, you simply just do not see them here in Europe or in the US, I wonder how common they are in Japan relative to how common Valet razors are here in the UK?
Hopefully google images might 'grab' these photos, currently there is just a poor quality single image of a Feather SE on the site and it is pictured sideways on so is not very informative with regards to detail.
Regards Dick.
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Post by mjclark on Mar 2, 2015 16:39:22 GMT -6
It's threads like these that make me so glad to be a member of TOST. Absolutely superb write up and pictures. So how do those Feather SEs shave? It's so weird to see what looks like a VC2 but with a runner guard!
And why do Feather still make blades for these? Are these razors still in use in Japan I wonder...
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2015 22:22:38 GMT -6
It's threads like these that make me so glad to be a member of TOST. Absolutely superb write up and pictures. So how do those Feather SEs shave? It's so weird to see what looks like a VC2 but with a runner guard! And why do Feather still make blades for these? Are these razors still in use in Japan I wonder... I haven't used the OC variant, but I'd say that the runner-guard model shaves pretty much like the VC4. Despite the resemblance of the Feather's handle to the VB2's, it weighs 62 grams compared to the 66 grams of my British made VC4. There are definitely some lighter materials in play. I have no tangible information on why the Feather blades are still available. I'm one of those that favors the SS version, and I've made sure I've stocked up in case they suddenly vanish from the market. I can't be buying enough of them by myself to keep the market going, so maybe Japan still has domestic users. The other lingering question I have is the whether Feather had obtained Valet outright from Gillette post WWII. I've seen enough Japanese advertising for Valets to know that there was an established market for them there. When I was still developing an interest in Valet, I though I had read as much (about Gillette) somewhere on the web. I've not been able to relocate that information. Does anybody know?
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Post by drumzalot on Mar 3, 2015 9:54:31 GMT -6
What you have is indeed a prize it's beyond rare. I can't find any information about the Feather much less get a hold of one. You must be just one of the handful of people who have one. A very detailed review and you have a holy grail razor Kevin!
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spidey9
Lather Catcher
All SE all the time!
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Post by spidey9 on Mar 3, 2015 10:29:12 GMT -6
Fascinating! Thanks for taking the time to put this together.
--Bob
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Post by mjclark on Jun 17, 2016 3:08:49 GMT -6
It's taken a long time but the story is starting to make sense now.
So it turns out that Feather was founded by Germans who settled in Japan after being POWs in WW1.
In contrast to what would follow 30 years later, POWs in WW1 were treated as guests and the standard of living was far superior to Germany post-1918 so some Germans decided to stay.
And in the 1920's there was a big drive by the Emperor for the Japanese people to adopt a Western lifestyle so it makes sense that Japan would begin making Western style razors (this is certainly the case for straight razors too).
The only question is why a Valet clone, not Gillette or GEM?
Perhaps, as has been suggested, it was a licensing issue?
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Post by wchnu on Jun 21, 2016 5:47:33 GMT -6
I love good razor porn in the morning, Those are beautiful razors. I need to acquire a few of the feather blades. Where is the best place to get them these days???
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spidey9
Lather Catcher
All SE all the time!
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Post by spidey9 on Jun 21, 2016 22:54:24 GMT -6
While looking for something else I came across this link, which fills in a few of the holes. www.kamisoriclub.co.jp/html/page43.htmlIt's actually a synopsis of a book called "History and Culture of Shaving in Japan." Unfortunately the book is only available in Japanese. --Bob
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