So basically you are asserting that a $23 Fatip shaves as well as a $28 Fatip? I guess I can go with that.
Cheap vs expensive safety razors: does it matter?
- Thread starter pangaea
- Start date
There are few chances that a high price does not come with high quality and/or proper function.
As also, there are few chances where high quality and/or proper function does come with a low price.
Still, a general rule applies : You get what you paid for.
Yes,a $25 Fatip is a great razor .
Still ,a $150 Tatara is a much better razor .
In order to reach somewhere ,you can use a car ,a bike ,an airplane ,a skateboard or go by foot .
Still , the trip may be as important as the destination.
A razor is a razor ,no matter the price .
It's a device used for shaving and all the razors can slice whiskers .
But usually , the devil is in the details .
As also, there are few chances where high quality and/or proper function does come with a low price.
Still, a general rule applies : You get what you paid for.
Yes,a $25 Fatip is a great razor .
Still ,a $150 Tatara is a much better razor .
In order to reach somewhere ,you can use a car ,a bike ,an airplane ,a skateboard or go by foot .
Still , the trip may be as important as the destination.
A razor is a razor ,no matter the price .
It's a device used for shaving and all the razors can slice whiskers .
But usually , the devil is in the details .
How is it better? If its better for you thats great, but it wont be better for everyone.
I think a lot of people are disagreeing with you. Proper function leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Not to single out the Blackbird but I will, despite being built to tighter tolerances, because of its head design as far as I'm concerned it doesn't "function properly" going ATG on my head where the $23 Fatip or $5 DE1 do. Given that, it's tight tolerances and fine plating do not necessarily make it better or trust me I wouldn't have sold it.
The Tatara, by the way, is indeed terrific. A lot of people consider it too mild however, and would probably argue the cheap R41 is better.
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I took a look at the Tatara Razor. It looks like there is gap and that the blade is spring supported and clamped further back on the baseplate and cap. If you like the blade clamped forward and rigid with no gap Fatip is for you. If not the Tatara would be for you. It comes down to a matter of preference in design and function not cost as to which is "better".
Exactamundo.
Why basically yes, yes I am saying that.
I've ,love and use both of them .
But how Tatara it's better than the Fatip ?
-For sure it has better finishing quality and tighter tolerances .
-The blade does not need any alignment by hand .
-It brings a very smooth shave (not so close as the Fatip ,though ) .
-Stainless steel threads will last much longer than brass threads .
-Both of them offer high blade rigidity ,still the Masamune clearly is a much more " rigid razor",by design.
Regarding ATG ,"proper function " ( blade rigidity ) is much more important than quality (finishing ,tolerances )
" There are few chances that a high price does not come with high quality and/or proper function. "
Blackbird... Not a blade-rigid razor .
"As also, there are few chances where high quality and/or proper function does come with a low price."
Fatip ...A blade-rigid razor.
Okay, I'll give you that. It's hard to get a good shot of the Tatara's plate and cap. The razor has built in gap no? I'm not a big fan of gap, though I'll tolerate it on some razors.
We agree then that there are design issues that are unrelated to cost. Those same concerns lead me to believe that the Muhle Rocca and Charcoal razors would be unlikely to function as well as many less expensive razors I own.
Are you sure you took a look at the Tatara ?
Because the blade is not spring-supported in any way.
Wolfman and Tatara have almost identical razor heads ,where the loaded blade stays rather flat when clamped .
Here is the Tatara Masamune besides a Muhle Rocca :
A closer look of the Tatara head :
Now compare the Tatara Tasamune head with the Wolfman WR1 head :
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I can see someone choosing to spend more money for something possibly more aesthetically pleasing, but thats not a function of shave performance, thats a matter of preference.
The blade may not need to be aligned because its a different design. That doesnt make it more superior in my view however. I have 5 seconds to spare after I load the blade to align it, if need be.
Few DE's are as smooth as a Fatip once you find your sweet spot, and they do it with a highly rigid design and virtually no blade gap.
Brass threads not lasting long enough? My 103 year old Gillette Single Ring disagrees, so far lol.
The baseplate of the Tatara shows its a rigid design, but without seeing pictures showing the proper angles its difficult to say. The Fatip baseplate on the other hand is, as I said, highly rigid and supports the blade for very nearly its entire width.
Tatara baseplate.
Gillette NEW SC baseplate.
The NEW SC baseplate offers, arguably, slightly more blade support than the Fatip, but it also has considerably more gap and is half as efficient as the Fatip because it has far less blade exposure.
NEW SC left, Fatip right. Gaps and blade exposures.
The only razor I've used thats smoother and more efficient than my Fatip Grande is my GEM MMOC SE. The MMOC is also twice as efficient as my Grande. No other DE that I'm aware of offers what a Fatip does. A highly rigid design, little gap and a very short cap/guard span distance with generous blade exposure.
None of that would make it the best razor for everyone, but it is, by far, the best DE I've used.
I think the Rigidistas (ok those that can handle a little gap) might well like the Tatara, I like it a lot though a little more exposure would be appreciated. I'm waiting for just the OC version to show up on BST.Are you sure you took a look at the Tatara ?
Because the blade is not spring-supported in any way.
Wolfman and Tatara have almost identical razor heads ,where the loaded blade stays rather flat when clamped .
Here is the Tatara Masamune besides a Muhle Rocca :
A close look of the Tatara head :
Now compare the Tatara Tasamune head with the Wolfman WR1 head :
As I said the Rocca has non starter written all over it.
I know I'd like it, but in the end I wouldnt like paying for it because it would shave me the same as a NEW SC that I already have, which also has too much blade gap lol.
Let me rephrase :
Stainless steel threads are far less prone to damage from over tightening than brass threads.
Of course there are many >100 years old brass razors that still have their threads intact.
As also there are many >100 years old brass razors that their threads are damaged.
When the stainless steel razors will be "vintage " ( in about 100 years from now ),
-trust me on that one- , it will be quite rare for them to have damaged threads .
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I would assume so, but I wont be here to verify it. Brass is good enough for me. Its also heavier than stainless.
Maybe in another 100 years they'll have the laser razor I'd like to have now! lol
Rocca is a very good razor for the experienced wet shaver .
Still , those that have wire-hard facial hair ,can't go ATG with Rocca.
At least I can't .
Fatip is a much better razor than the Rocca ,when it comes to rigidity.
Tatara Masamune was actually designed mainly to use with Feather blades.
And due to it's negative exposure and extremely high blade rigidity ,
it "tames" the Feather blade like no other razor does.
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That makes me curious. Do you shave ATG with your Tatara and if so, how many passes for a BBS finish, how long does that BBS finish last and your best blade. Assuming, you shave for a BBS finish?
The Tatara razors are little talked about on the forum and its nice to see someone that has one and talks about it.
That's pretty obvious just looking at the head configuration. It's quite common for head stubble to be harder to cut than facial hair.
Oh, negative exposure...
