Feather Stainless Steel DE Razor Review (AS-D2): A Rust Proof Beauty

by Garrick Dee | Last Updated: June 25th, 2020

If you look at the safety razors in the market today, what do you notice?

Most of them have a chrome finish.

Chrome can chip over time.

While chrome is pretty to look at, its biggest weakness is chipping.

Over time it can chip and fade due to the hot and humid environment in the bathroom – if you like to shave after a hot shower.

Chrome-plated razors are so popular because it’s not very expensive due to lower manufacturing costs.

You can get yourself a decent DE razor between $20 and $40. If you’re really cheap, you can get one for less than $20.

This is how the Feather is different from other brands, and it is what makes it very expensive.

All stainless steel

Instead of regular metal and coating it with chrome, Feather uses stainless steel to make it pretty much immune to any rust or corrosion.

And instead of using polished shiny stainless steel, this three-piece safety razor sports a beautiful matte finish which isn’t flashy but elegant to look at – perhaps one of the best looking DE razors you’ll ever see in the market.

The thing that makes this Japanese made razor stand out lies in the details. Look at the design, and it screams precision. From the shaving head down to the knurling, this razor is high quality.

First, let’s look at the features:

• One of the first safety razors in the market that uses stainless steel
• This razor utilizes a three-piece design with a close comb.
• Weighs around 3.25 ounces (or about 90 grams)
• Comes with 5 Feather stainless steel blades (perhaps the sharpest in the market)
• Length: 3.75″
• Aggressiveness: 5/10
• Blades included: 5

Pros

• Top notched fit and finish
• Virtually rust proof
• Easy to align the blade because of the unique design of the head (more on that later)
• Excellent grip thanks knurling design that has cross-sectional grooves that look like small diamonds
• Great for beginners (but very expensive)

Cons

• Very expensive (one of the priciest DE razors you’ll find)
• If you have a very tough beard, this may not fit your needs because it isn’t as aggressive as an open comb razor or a slant.

What to expect from this all stainless beauty?

If you aren’t familiar with Feather, they are a Japanese company that produces DE razors and blades.

One of their most popular products is the HI-stainless steel blade. Some aficionados consider it to be the sharpest.

A pioneer

The Feather brand was actually the first manufacturer to use stainless steel. And paved the way for other brands such as the Ikon and Above The Tie, according to the Sharpologist.

The AS-D2 is a 2nd generation variant. Men who’ve used this say that this product a thing of beauty. This has the same sentiment in Amazon, forums, and blogs.

Depending on where you will buy this, you will either get a wooden box or a velvet box with a foam interior that holds the razor and blades.

Comes with 5 Feather blades

Regardless of where you buy this, it comes with 5 Feather blades – one of the sharpest if not the sharpest blades you’ll ever find.

And if the Feather Hi stainless steel blades work for you, then this is one of the best razors to pair along with it because blade exposure is minimal, and according to some expert wet shavers, you hardly feel the blade at all.

If you have a wiry beard, this may not give you a BBS shave, but it will close, but for men with not so tough beards, this is a great option that will last them a lifetime – you literally may not have to buy another safety razor.

Is it easy to load the blade?

This is a three-piece safety razor, which means you will have to disassemble it every time you need to load the blade.

It’s a bit harder when you compare it to a TTO (twist to open) and two-piece design, but it makes up for it with some tweaks in the design.

First, here’s how you load a blade…

This video is courtesy of Classic Shaving…

Under the top cap, the corners have guideposts that align the blade as you tighten it.

Instead of using guideposts that other manufacturers use, the Feather AS-D2 utilizes notches on all four corners to help with the alignment of the blade.

It’s these little details that make this a great shaving tool.

Aggressiveness

In terms of aggressiveness, you won’t mistake this for a slant bar razor anytime soon.

Blade exposure is very minimal, so this razor will give a mild shave.

As long as you don’t have a wiry tough beard, you can pair this with the Feather H1 stainless steel razor and get a baby butt smooth shave in three passes. But if your beard is tough, you may want to consider something more aggressive.

45 degrees…

While most de razors require a 30-degree angle for the blade to cut through whiskers, this razor requires you to hold it at a 45-degree angle according to some wet shavers.

Grip

This, in my opinion, is one of the best features of the Feather AS-D2. It’s got a deep knurling and 6 horizontal grooves (three on the upper handle and another three on the lower handle).

At first glance, the knurling design looks much like the gritty design of the Merkur 34C, but when you look closely, it actually has more detail and better grip thanks to the cross-sectional grooves that look like small diamonds.

Image courtesy of massdrop.com

There are three horizontal grooves at the top and bottom part of the handle. This adds to the grip of this razor. There’s no need to continually check where the ends are.

The balance point is at the area past the horizontal grooves near the head, which is good. This is a natural spot to remember with the slots in place.

Length

Length from tip to base is 3.75″ long. Size is pretty standard and will suit men with small to medium-sized mitts.

The short handle also will allow you to rest your pinkie on the butt of the handle – again this gives you better control

Razor Specifications

Model	AS-D2
Overall Length	3.75 inches
Handle Length	N/A
Handle Diameter	N/A
Weight	3.25 ounces (or 90 grams)
Material	Stainless steel
Finish	Matte SS finish
Type	3 piece
Adjustable
Knurled handle	Barber Pole Style
Blade included	5 Feather blades
Manufactured in	N/A

What consumers say

Even if this razor is expensive, it still got good reviews.

This shows you that there is a market for expensive razors, and if it is an excellent product, people will buy it.

Mild razor

A lot of wet shavers call this a “mild” razor because it doesn’t expose much of the blade. The beauty of a mild razor is that you can use a more aggressive blade like a Feature HI-stainless and not worry too much about irritation.

This is how a lot of men don’t have tough beards use the Feather razor to get a close shave.

Why is this razor so expensive?

Well, it’s all in the details which consumers loved. From the shaving head down to the handle, they loved the way Feather crafted this product.

Precision craftsmanship

This craftsmanship is found in numerous places – under the top plate and knurling.

The diamond styled knurling along with the deep horizontal grooves gives this solid grip. It’s almost impossible for this to slip off your hands.

You have a high-quality product – as the saying goes, you get what you pay for.

Which brings me to the biggest complaint to this product – the price.

This product is not for everyone, but if you can afford it and you want it to last a lifetime, this is one of the best investments you can make.

It’s only a one-time investment. The other expenses like shaving cream, shaving brush, and blades will not cost as much over the long term versus a cartridge razor.

If you buy it in an online retail store like West Coast Shaving, sell it for close to $180, but Amazon sells it at a lower cost. Other stores like Classic Shaving sell it at over $200, so the prices will vary.

Here are some video reviews so you can see how this product performs.

Geofatboy’s take on this – he likes it!

Thomas from Denmark tries it out as well.

Where can I buy this?

You can buy this razor from Amazon. And it is eligible for Amazon’s free 2-day shipping if you join Prime.

The price may be steep, but this razor will last a lifetime because of the stainless steel finish. And you won’t spend as much on blades because DE blades are much, much cheaper than cartridges or disposables.

To Wrap Up

This razor is great for the wet shaver who does not want to compromise on quality and want something that will really last a lifetime.

Razors with chrome finishes will last a long time if you take good care of it. But even with the best care, chrome will dull over time.

This is what stainless steel has over metal – it will not fade or rust, even in a moist environment. The matte finish gives it a high-end look (this is actually a high-end razor!) without being too flashy.

But this razor isn’t for everyone. If you have thick beard growth, you may want to opt for a slant bar razor.

Or if you want a stainless steel razor that will be able to handle your wiry beard, then you can choose for the 7-piece Above The Tie razor – a super expensive but yet super effective option for men with tough beards.

If you don’t mind spending a premium for a safety razor, then this is an excellent option for you – you may not need to buy another DE razor in your life. Pair this with a Feather blade, and you’ll get a BBS shave without feeling the blade.