Feather and Kai shaves

chazt

shave
Lifted this from a B&B post. The member is comparing blades installed to determine exposure.

"Owning both the Kai Captain & Feather Artist Club DX holders, and the Kai Titan Mild & Feather Super blades, I've had a chance to make some direct comparisons and observations between the two compatible systems. In this thread, I'd like to address blade exposure. Given the same blade, the Kai holder seems to have just a little bit less exposure than the Feather. For those interested in such things, here is a list of holder and blade combinations from most to least blade exposure. Please, keep in mind that some information is logically inferred and not from direct observation.


(MOST EXPOSURE)

  1. Feather w/Pro Super Blade
  2. Kai w/Pro Super Blade
  3. Feather w/Standard Size Blade (Feather Professional, Kai Mild, ProGuard, etc.)
  4. Kai w/Standard Size Blade (Feather Professional, Kai Mild, ProGuard, etc.)
  5. Feather w/Pro Light Blade
  6. Kai w/Pro Light Blade (reports indicate almost no blade exposure with this combination)
(LEAST EXPOSURE)"
I can infer that my brief experience confirms the man’s points 5 and 6. Ergo, an unscientific testing of his hypothesis. If we can all duplicate his results it’ll turn into theory! 💈
 

Twelvefret

Forum GOD!
Just checked the Schick P-30 @chazt sent me. According to my measurement, it is 7.5mm. If someone could measure the Kai blades we might be onto a better understanding.

I think the problem with the Kai Woody is not that it is mild, but that it does not allow for as much blade exposure. Apparently "no blade exposure".

Put a Super at 8.2mm or Pro-guard at 8.0mm in the Kai Woody and you may get the same or similar result as the SR with a P-30 or Kai blade in the SR.
 

Estariol

Forum GOD!
@Estariol Do you know if the other Kai models are similar or is there some variation like the Feather SS and DX?
I made that conclusion judging by the front/tip profiles of the holders. I have no accurate info, but according to the profile from the front, the Kai razor with the wedge-like profile can be resembling to the DX in shaving properties. I didn't explore comparison videos, though, maybe there is one...? We'll find out when i receive my Captain clone
 

chazt

shave
@chazt took photos of his three on post #184. I posted the SS on post #185. Kai made a line they branded "Luffy". The wood scale version is a part of this line and has a similar design as the SS.

I think what this shows is that the Kai "woody" is not necessarily mild nor is the SS mild. What they do is allow for a milder use with a more narrow or guarded blade. The wider the blade more similar the effect, perhaps is true.

Another question, is the DX more effective than the SS using the same blade? Or, is the woody less effective than the Kia Kasho Captain using the same blade? I think Charlie's experience yesterday shows is using a narrower blade makes the design of the woody/Luffy and SS less effective, but safer perhaps. If the SR is between the SS and DX, this would explain why Charlie got a better shave taking the soft out of the woody and putting it into the SR.
By saying that the razor’s design allows you to achieve a milder shave with a more narrow blade is a pretty good definition of a milder razor. Yes?

And I’ll clarify that using a narrower blade wasn’t less effective, it was ineffective. I’ll try a Feather Professional guarded blade next in the Woody.
 

chazt

shave
24, maybe 28 hours post shave. Two observations. 1, the area on my left cheek where I did three short and increasingly pressured strokes with the Kai, currently feels mildly sore below the surface of my skin. In retrospect, those three strokes were probably all of three or four seconds in total. In that span my brain and hand realized something was amiss and tried to compensate by increasing the amount of applied pressure to the blade. The sort of pressure one might use with a cartridge razor. After that third stroke of the blade, executive function wisely took control and said, “Uh, chaz, you’d better stop.” 2, the left side face is stubblier than the right. I believe, as this was my first legitimate attempt at using an unguarded AC blade, my hand-brain was compensating for the brutal assault of the added applied pressure just moments earlier.

Ergo, finding the right blade for each holder is much trial and error.
 

Twelvefret

Forum GOD!
By saying that the razor’s design allows you to achieve a milder shave with a more narrow blade is a pretty good definition of a milder razor. Yes?

And I’ll clarify that using a narrower blade wasn’t less effective, it was ineffective. I’ll try a Feather Professional guarded blade next in the Woody.
Have you used a Pro Guard in any of your holders?
 

chazt

shave
Have you used a Pro Guard in any of your holders?
No, not yet. Here’s how the holders are currently set up. The DX and the Woody each now have a Kai Pink MG. I know what to expect from each razor with that blade. I’m totally fine with the DX and the KPMG setup for the time being and see no reason to start any further experimentation there just now. The Woody otoh and tbh leaves a lot to be desired with the KPMG blade. It’s ok on the cheeks but hasn’t worked worth a damn anywhere below my jawline. Something needs adjusting there. La Pluma Negra is fitted with the Feather Professional Light blade from yesterday. I’ll stick with that for a while as well. I think.

So that creates questions. I believe something wider is in order for Woody. I’ve both Feather guarded blades, Soft and Pro. The chart above indicates the only difference between them is the profile of the guard itself. All blade dimensions seem identical. So one of those is an option. You suggest Proguards, and that may be a difference maker. Next question.. is the profile of Woody’s blade bump so significant as to make a guarded blade the logical next step? Perhaps something unguarded. I have Prolines and a dispenser of Kai Captain Titan Mild. Maybe one of those?

At least for the next few shaves with the SR I’ll keep the ProLight as something of a baseline while trying to make heads or tails of the Kai. I think a mostly 50/50 SR/Woody rotation will work for now. I think I have enough facility with general technique to not limit myself to just one razor holder as I previously mused. It’s true, I like variety. Every few shaves I can slide the DX into the rotation to keep those neurons firing.
 
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