My newest acquisition as far as razors go, the Feather Popular is a mild and kind razor of mixed construction.

I picked the Popular up for less than 10£, but for being a cheap razor it certainly has a lot going for it. Build quality isn’t the highest, but better than most cartridge razors I’ve tried and heads and shoulders over any disposables I’ve seen. The Twist To Open head features stamped and pressed metal doors mounted on a plastic base, while the long handle is all plastic. If you should happen to drop the Popular the thin doors is likely to be knocked out of shape, but so might the doors on a more expensive TTO razor.
As mentioned the Popular is a mild razor – so mild in fact that I feel  it should be paired with an aggressive blade. It makes a very fine job of taming the wicked sharp Feather Hi Stainless blades, giving a smooth, comfortable shave on the most obnoxious stubble. The long handle gives plenty of control to the Popular, but if you should prefer short handled razors you’re out of luck – unless you want to get a sharp knife out and shorten the handle yourself. The light weight makes it somewhat tempting to increase the pressure while shaving, but like any DE razor this is best avoided. It’s safety bar is plastic, which probably is what causes the ever so slight tendency of the Popular to want to go sideways while shaving. Not a big issue, just something to be aware of.
The Popular quickly made itself part of my rotation. It is an excellent first razor since a newbie can try traditional wetshaving for little money, the Popular would make a wonderful travel razor if I didn’t already own one, and it would be a good fit for any wetshaver looking for a mild razor – even if the look and design wont win the Feather Popular any prices.