(This post was last modified: 10-07-2024, 05:35 PM by Tedolph.)
Just to add a little to
HighSpeed s excellent discussion, with one caveat-I am not sure that what I am about to say is historically accurate as it is based on hearsay from a long time ago and I don't fully trust my memory. Anyway, as I understand it, Feather in Japan bought the tooling for the old single edge Valet Auto Strop (VAS) razors and carbon steel blades. Feather made the razors for a short time. This might have been in the 40's or 50's? Then, when stainless steel blades became the standard, Feather started making the FHS stainless steel blades but continued with the carbon steel for everybody that still had VAS razors and their strops. The VAS used a mechanical stropping system specifically designed for use with the carbon steel blades. Although you could fit a FHS stainless blade in the VAS, you could not effectively strop it. I have used both the FHS stainless and FAS carbon steel blades. The FHS are sharper and smoother, but after you have done one or two shaves with the carbon steel FAS blades and run them through the stropping process they get sharper and tug less, but are never quite as good as a fresh FHS stainless steel blades. But, the FAS carbon steel blades last forever as longs as you strop them after each shave (on the rough side of the strop) to dry the edge, and again (on the smooth side of the strop) to re-align the edge before each shave.
So you have a trade off: use a 60 cent blade that might last for 40-50 shaves but it will tug a bit ATG, or a 90 cent blade that is very sharp but only good for 4-5 shaves and can't be stropped.
One Blade designed their modern razors to use the Feather SE FHS blade. I had the el cheapo CORE all plastic razor (there were a couple of versions, I have V2) and thought that it worked great with the FHS blade. I gave it away to someone who needed a decent razor and replaced it with a Hybrid design that has a plastic handle but a stainless steel head. It is slightly more aggressive than the all plastic CORE. Both offer a very rapid, cartridge like shave because they have a spring loaded, pivoting head. So, if you are in a big hurry you can do a single ATG pass and be good to go out to dinner, etc.
One downside (for me) is that all the One Blade razors are closed comb. I prefer the more definite blade feel of my open comb, vintage Valet Auto Strop. Unfortunately, I can't use the FAS carbon steel blades because my strop disintegrated a long time ago.
bbssboss and
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