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My Grande Journey

Raven Koenes

My precious!
Esox, Here is my chrome sister to your gold Grande:
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Thats nice too, but you guys really have me wondering about the Gentile now lol.

Ha, Ha! Another case of RAD flares up. Nice journal idea, @Esox! I have not tried the Fatips but like the look of them and only hear good reports on B&B. I do like an aggressive handle from time to time, but I have a hard time shaving daily with them. Enjoy your shaves. I'll be following along.
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
Welcome to the journals section!

Thanks!


I realized something this morning as I was replying to another thread...

I've been shaving everyday now for I think, over a week. This is something I've never done before simply because I couldnt. If I had any irritation from a shave, shaving again the next day would only compound it. For most of my life using a Gillette Sensor, SensorXL and a Mach 3 I've never shaved two days in a row other than when I first started with the Sensor and found out it wasnt a good idea. The only times I would shave two days in a row was when I used electrics for quite a few years because I had too. Shaving every other day with a Mach 3 was never an enjoyable experience let me tell you.

The shave was so ineffective with electric shavers that if I didnt shave as close as I could with one, the next days shave would be painfully tuggy. If I waited two days I'd need to use clippers first pass, or at the very least, the trimmer built into the shaver over my worst areas before using it over my entire face, and then I might still stall it. That will make you jump! Even at that the blades wouldnt stay sharp long and I even got to the point of sharpening them myself on a whetstone, often.

So I was thinking this morning and it occurred to me that I've been shaving everyday, and not even thinking about it! Is this my skin adjusting to DE shaving? Is it the better soaps/creams and slickness? Is it my technique is evolving to let me shave daily, even with blades considered very sharp in what I feel is a fairly aggressive blade forward razor, my Gillette Regent, or a combination of all? I dont know, but something is working and working well.

I also have a goal in mind. I'm not sure if I'll be able to attain it, but given the fact above, it seems I'm on my way too it.

I hope to achieve a single buffing pass shave. Starting directly ATG and finishing with a nice BBS shave with cool, comfortable skin like I can have now with either a 2 1/2 - 3 pass shave and my NEW SC or Regent, or in the case of using my post war Tech, a full 3 pass shave with 3 more clean up passes over my neck, chin and jawline.

I can start directly ATG now with my NEW SC, but the gap it has doesnt make it the most comfortable shave. My Gillette Regent has the blade profile of an OLD type without any gap, but it's not as comfortable to shave with as my NEW SC so I havent even attempted starting my shave directly ATG with it, yet. Gillette TTO's may be rigid designs, but they dont feel as rigid as the NEW SC to me.

This is why I started thinking about a Single Ring. They have the rigidity, they have no blade gap and I certainly feel they would be a capable enough razor with the right match in blade choice. The Fatip head seems to up them a step by offering more blade exposure and in my mind that will help me in achieving this goal.

Is this unrealistic, I dont know. Is it even possible, I believe it is.

This journey may be a long one, but it starts today.
 

Raven Koenes

My precious!
Thanks!


I realized something this morning as I was replying to another thread...

I've been shaving everyday now for I think, over a week. This is something I've never done before simply because I couldnt. If I had any irritation from a shave, shaving again the next day would only compound it. For most of my life using a Gillette Sensor, SensorXL and a Mach 3 I've never shaved two days in a row other than when I first started with the Sensor and found out it wasnt a good idea. The only times I would shave two days in a row was when I used electrics for quite a few years because I had too. Shaving every other day with a Mach 3 was never an enjoyable experience let me tell you.

The shave was so ineffective with electric shavers that if I didnt shave as close as I could with one, the next days shave would be painfully tuggy. If I waited two days I'd need to use clippers first pass, or at the very least, the trimmer built into the shaver over my worst areas before using it over my entire face, and then I might still stall it. That will make you jump! Even at that the blades wouldnt stay sharp long and I even got to the point of sharpening them myself on a whetstone, often.

So I was thinking this morning and it occurred to me that I've been shaving everyday, and not even thinking about it! Is this my skin adjusting to DE shaving? Is it the better soaps/creams and slickness? Is it my technique is evolving to let me shave daily, even with blades considered very sharp in what I feel is a fairly aggressive blade forward razor, my Gillette Regent, or a combination of all? I dont know, but something is working and working well.

I also have a goal in mind. I'm not sure if I'll be able to attain it, but given the fact above, it seems I'm on my way too it.

I hope to achieve a single buffing pass shave. Starting directly ATG and finishing with a nice BBS shave with cool, comfortable skin like I can have now with either a 2 1/2 - 3 pass shave and my NEW SC or Regent, or in the case of using my post war Tech, a full 3 pass shave with 3 more clean up passes over my neck, chin and jawline.

I can start directly ATG now with my NEW SC, but the gap it has doesnt make it the most comfortable shave. My Gillette Regent has the blade profile of an OLD type without any gap, but it's not as comfortable to shave with as my NEW SC so I havent even attempted starting my shave directly ATG with it, yet. Gillette TTO's may be rigid designs, but they dont feel as rigid as the NEW SC to me.

This is why I started thinking about a Single Ring. They have the rigidity, they have no blade gap and I certainly feel they would be a capable enough razor with the right match in blade choice. The Fatip head seems to up them a step by offering more blade exposure and in my mind that will help me in achieving this goal.

Is this unrealistic, I dont know. Is it even possible, I believe it is.

This journey may be a long one, but it starts today.
:thumbsup: Good luck my friend. Enjoy and remember a light touch and just shave.
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
Good luck my friend. Enjoy and remember a light touch and just shave.

Exactly. It is just a razor after all, but what a razor it is.


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I started right side mid ear at the base of my side burn and as soon as the razor moved, I knew. That single stroke went right to the bottom of my neck as did all other strokes as I worked my way across my face.

Effortless full length strokes.

I do the same with my Regent, but not this easily or comfortably. I do it with my NEW SC, but not this easily and almost as comfortably, but not as effectively. I do it with my Tech this easily too and very nearly as comfortably, but no where near this effectively. The Tech is very light, the Grande is not.

The Tech is a sharp axe and I have to cut my way through my stubble with many well placed swings. The NEW SC is a chainsaw. Quicker and more effective and a very good and useful tool. The Grande is a Feller buncher.

This razor has an entirely different feel to it than any other razor I've used, by far. I've said before that I dont shave with my NEW SC, it shaves me. If the NEW SC is a C6 Corvette, this Grande is a Ferrari FXX. Everything it does, it does easier, smoother, quicker, more efficiently, more precisely and much more assertively. The difference being I believe, the gap on the NEW SC and the extra weight of the Grande. Not just in the handle either. The weight of the head, and the balance point of it makes it a completely different shave.

I'm not one to use so many analogies but all the razors I speak of are either popular or becoming quite popular so I find it good to have a frame of reference many can understand and/or relate too.

Finish that first quick, simple WTG/XTG pass, wet my hand, wipe and check and had a nice DFS. On one single pass, with a Derby Extra.

Lather again and dive right into the ATG pass as I normally do with no buffing. Let me state that again as I tend to buff a lot. No buffing. Wet my hand, check again and honestly from the feel of the razor and that first simple pass I knew where I'd be, basically finished. Pretty much BBS everywhere. I did do one more quick buffing pass over my neck and jawline just to clean up a little.

This is, by a long shot, my closest and easiest shave yet, but it wasnt perfect. There was blood, not a lot, but a small weeper at the right corner of my mouth because I didnt stretch enough, and one each again on either side of my adams apple. Not because they're my harder to shave areas really. On my right side I have a mole, not much of one and its really just a flat dark spot and I've only ever caught it once with my first shave with my NEW SC. Once I knew I could, I never have again until this shave. On my left side, I think it was this razor being so rigid and unforgiving, that I had a small weeper over the swirl on my left side. I put that to using the Derby and it not being quite sharp enough to BBS that area that quickly. I believe this razor will show shortcomings in blades much more easily than the other razors I own.

I've always said Derby Extra blades were a favorite of mine and they still are. Wonderfully smooth and easily sharp enough. In this razor, I need to go over my trouble spots in two different directions, not my usual 3-4 directions. Had I done that, I wouldnt have had the left side weeper. Had I used a sharper blade, I dont believe I would have had that left side weeper either. I'll also add that I didnt think about angle and didnt change the angle during the shave. I just let the razor do its thing, guiding it over my skin with the little force that was necessary.

This is simply a fantastic razor, but its not a razor for those whos technique may not be up to it just yet. It will however teach the proper technique very quickly if you tend to learn your lessons from the school of hard knocks. I'm not sure there would be a better teacher lol.

If on the other hand you feel your technique is up to it, buy one. For the price its a no brainer to me and I'm sitting here wondering why I waited as long as I did. It is not the face ripping, rabid werewolf of a razor some seem to think and say it is. You only need to know how to wield a razor properly. Once you do, it will reward you.

Rave, you know your stuff and I have to agree with everything you, and many others have said about the Fatip razors. They are special.

Just to let 1Cal know, I get it now...

I also want to add one thing I read yesterday and tried today. Many, myself included, have mentioned the blade alignment issues. I read yesterday, I cant remember who on this forum said so, but they stated to set the cap down on something other than your hand and drop the blade on it letting it fall as it naturally will. Then gently place the base plate over it and let it fall naturally into place on top of the blade and then screw the handle on until it snugs up a bit. Only then, pick the razor up holding it by the handle and very lightly on the sides of the head, and snug the handle down. I did this today and the blade was perfectly aligned. No adjustment was needed.
 
Great journal - I will follow with interest. I have a fatip piccolo which I really like. One question - did I understand right that you don't take lots of short strokes but instead take one long one from sideburn to base of neck - cart technique? Great it seems to work perfectly for you, especially first shave on a new razor!
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
Great journal - I will follow with interest. I have a fatip piccolo which I really like. One question - did I understand right that you don't take lots of short strokes but instead take one long one from sideburn to base of neck - cart technique? Great it seems to work perfectly for you, especially first shave on a new razor!

You do understand correctly. I've pretty much always done that, but it is easier with some razors than others. The NEW SC and the post war Tech especially.

The rigidity of the Grande, coupled with the weight and no gap, really made it effortless. Even on the face of my chin, where I would normally use the short 1/4" or so strokes, it was one long sweep from the base of my lip down the face of my chin and continued right down to the base of my neck. To use a word I rarely if ever do, it was sublime.
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
I did a search and found the post I was referring too about how I loaded the blade today.

What I have found is that if I hold the head assembly in my hand while screwing the handle on I more times than not have alignment problems, but if I lay the top cap on the counter, place the blade and bottom plate on, put my thumb and index fingers on the tips of the alignment pins, (this puts zero pressure on the bottom plate and blade but keeps the assembly steady), and screw the handle on and only when it starts to tighten I turn the head assy to one of the faces of the head and cinch it ever so slightly... I have found in using this technique I never have an alignment problem ever... I found that by just holding the assy in my fingers while screwing the handle on, just the slightest touch to the blade ends protruding from the top cap seemed to skew the blade while tightening the handle down. The way I am doing it now there is even pressure all the way around the head on the blade, top and bottom, to seat the blade properly.

Thats what I did and it worked perfectly for me. I did hold the pins to snug the handle up before actually lifting it into my hand and tightening it completely.

Thanks to muzichead for the tip!
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
@Esox....glad your first shave went so well. I think my Grande will be first in rotation for the month of OCtober..

Thanks.

I'm still a bit shocked it went as well as it did. I never dreamed that razor would be as comfortable and easy to use as it is.
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
congrats on your fatip experiences!
i find mine to be somewhat aggressive, closely akin (if not made by) joris.

View attachment 823600

Yes, but its wonderfully aggressive.

Acqua Di Parma cream. Thats one I've been thinking about lately. Is it as nice as they say it is and how would you describe the scent and does it linger?
 

Raven Koenes

My precious!
Ya ain't foolin' me Rave. That's no Grande. :nono:
Oops my bad. You are right it's my Schone. I put the Schone in my Grande box, my Grande in my Testina Gentile box, and my Gillette Tech in my Schone box and forgot. I just pulled the razor out of the Grande box and started taking pictures...busted!
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
How do we know. The number of teeth?

Now I need to learn all about these differences. It never ends! lol
 
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