Fatip Grande Open Comb Gold DE Razor! (An SWCT Review!)

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

Fatip Grande Open Comb Gold DE Razor!

​

I wanted my first quality open comb razor, to be none other then the Fatip Grande Open Comb Gold razor. When I am shaving 1 to 2 day stubble, I find, that my single bar razors, tend to handle it with ease. Having said that however, when were talking about 3-day to 5-day stubble, they can't keep up. A lot of folks on B&B love their Fatip razors, so I figured I would give one a try, and report on my findings.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

The box is a tad on the flashy side, it is clear that it honors Italians heritage, and since I value culture, I can appreciate that!

Well, this Fatip razor gets my attention, and I can't take my eyes off it. Good thing I don't have a lady, otherwise she'd think I was cheating on her. This razor is stunningly gorgeous, and the head design is superb. What I love most about it, is the comb edges are rounded, this prevents scratching your face.

The rear of the head is also excellent, I love how big and rounded the blade alignment pins are. The handle I have mixed feelings about however. I do appreciate the grande diameter size of the handle, but its much shorter then one would expect, and I don't have tiny hands. It would have been nice if the handle was an inch longer. Also, the handle uses a smooth vertical knurling, which doesn't really help you with grip very much, so you have to be careful with it.

One of the things that I really like about this design of razor, is when you look at it from the right angle, it looks like one of those vintage lamp shades, you know the ones that use the hanging threaded tassels? I am a huge fat of art deco designing, and its been a lost art in building designs for so long, I am happy to see some vintage art deco designing in razors! Lets have a closer look at the razors finish...

For those who don't know, these razors are hand made in Italy, which means, they are not going to be finished with computer/robotic precision. If I am going to be 100% honest, I would be remiss if I didn't bring up the fact that the finish is not perfect, on this razor. As you can see, in some areas, the finish looks perfect, but other areas, such as the ends of the base plate and cap, and the handle, will not be so perfect.

There are many on B&B, who like to know about blade gap and exposure, infact, there is a dedicated thread for it right now. For those who are interested, I did the best I could to get some shots for ya. These are difficult to get with lower end camera's, so bare with me...

As you can see, the blade exposure really isn't extreme at all, its quite minor if you think about it. And that is also equally so, to the blade gap, which is also quite miner. It is my view that even the blade gap on my Henson AL13 Medium razor, has a greater blade gap, but its exposure is even less then that of the Fatip Grande razor.

The Fatip Grande has a solid weight to it, without going overboard, 2.4 ounces to be exact. This means it weighs less then the Feather AS-D2, less then the Rex Ambassador, less then the Merkur Futur, however weighs more then my Henson AL13 razor. I would consider this razor to be a mid-weight razor, in between light and heavy.

___________________________________________________________________________________

SWCT Experience With Fatip Grande Open Comb Gold Razor September 5th Shave Report!

​

First thing I noticed, was how smoothly the handle threaded onto the top cap, this is excellent design. I also noticed how many more threads it had, over your typical 3-piece razor too. I loaded the razor with a Nacet blade, that only had 1-use on it previously. While most razors, you can just tighten the handle till snug and stop, this seemed to result in the handle coming lose too easily, so give it a tad more when you tighten it down, just don't go crazy with it now!

Facial PREP:

I washed my face with Stirling Glacial Lemon Chill bar soap.
I applied some Stirling Executive Man Pre-shave oil.

SOAP USED:

Shave soap of choice, was the Stirling Glacial Lemon Chill shave soap, whipped up to yogurt consistency lather, in my Cayuen Workshop Dark Nebula bowl, using my Cayuen Workshop Dark Nebula 26mm shave brush.

STUBBLE Quantity = 3-days!

WTG FIRST PASSES:

I began with my WTG passes, and the Fatip razor wasn't shaving as smoothly as I had expected. I haven't had a lot of luck with my Nacet blades in most of my razors, so I am guessing a Wizamet would shave smoother with it. Having said that however, the razor seemed to do the WTG passes just fine, and even got under my jawline fairly well for the WTG passes. Once I was finished, I felt my face, and I was nearly BBS in my cheeks! It was clear that the open comb design got the job done here.

XTG/DTG SECOND PASSES:

Going XTG on my face, was quite smooth, and over my upper lip, surprisingly smooth! If I go west to east, then double back east to west, I can get more whiskers, it depends on beard growth, which is why wet shavers often suggest folks to map their beards. Suffice to say, this razor will get it done, just gotta have a little patience. I did my usual DTG for my neck area, a requirement due to whisker growth patterns. I found that the razor shaved this smoother then both my Rex Ambassador, and my Merkur Futur razors.

ATG THIRD PASSES:

I did my ATG passes, and this is where I felt that the razor shaved its smoothest. However, due to the blade gap being so miner, it did cause some slight inefficiency, making the ATG take a little longer to achieve a full BBS state, but it did get there. I did try different angles to see what worked best, shall or steep when going ATG, neither seemed to make much difference. About the only real difference is that riding the cap, made the shave feel more comfortable, but perhaps less efficient.

CONCLUSION:

The Fatip Grande Open Comb Gold razor, is not as aggressive as it looks. Having said that however, if your not careful with this razor, shave too aggressively with it, apply too much pressure, you will go from blade feel, straight past it, to bite ya good, hello weeper. I managed to go almost the entire shave without nicking myself with this razor, until I got to one of my problem areas, below the chin, and it got me, because I wasn't being careful enough. Overall, I feel that this was a smooth shaving razor, but I think it would probably be improved with a Wizamet blade. Also, a Gillette 7 O Clock GREEN blade might work well in it as well too.

What I liked most about the shave, was that the open comb design took down that bulk stubble with ease, not many single bar razors would do that. The razor has a nice weight to it, not too much, not too little. But it could benefit from having a longer handle with higher quality knurling. Having said that however, for the price I paid for it, I think I got my money's worth. The razor is absolutely stunning. IMHO, this is a razor for Intermediate & Expert wet shavers, not beginners who haven't mastered technique! So far, until otherwise stated, I am giving this razor a 4 out of 5

 

[Shaun asleep]

Nice shots and good review, my friend.

I must admit I giggled when I read you found the box to be on the "flashy side", mister I had my nickname etched into my top cap.

While most razors, you can just tighten the handle till snug and stop, this seemed to result in the handle coming lose too easily, so give it a tad more when you tighten it down, just don't go crazy with it now!

Be careful there buddy, doing this to my lo storto kind of pushed the outer circle of the handle into my top cap.

Enjoy your razor!

I should give this one a try as well. Maybe it can find it's way into my Christmas stocking.

 

[HabanaRon]

Congratulations on a beautiful razor! Fatip is a classic name and a great little shaver. I had a nickel plated one I loved but my son seems to have permanently borrowed it lol. I may have to pick up a gold Fatip down the road. Enjoy!

 

[LRod]

Fatip Grande Open Comb Gold DE Razor!

​

I wanted my first quality open comb razor, to be none other then the Fatip Grande Open Comb Gold razor. When I am shaving 1 to 2 day stubble, I find, that my single bar razors, tend to handle it with ease. Having said that however, when were talking about 3-day to 5-day stubble, they can't keep up. A lot of folks on B&B love their Fatip razors, so I figured I would give one a try, and report on my findings.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

The box is a tad on the flashy side, it is clear that it honors Italians heritage, and since I value culture, I can appreciate that!

Well, this Fatip razor gets my attention, and I can't take my eyes off it. Good thing I don't have a lady, otherwise she'd think I was cheating on her. This razor is stunningly gorgeous, and the head design is superb. What I love most about it, is the comb edges are rounded, this prevents scratching your face.

The rear of the head is also excellent, I love how big and rounded the blade alignment pins are. The handle I have mixed feelings about however. I do appreciate the grande diameter size of the handle, but its much shorter then one would expect, and I don't have tiny hands. It would have been nice if the handle was an inch longer. Also, the handle uses a smooth vertical knurling, which doesn't really help you with grip very much, so you have to be careful with it.

One of the things that I really like about this design of razor, is when you look at it from the right angle, it looks like one of those vintage lamp shades, you know the ones that use the hanging threaded tassels? I am a huge fat of art deco designing, and its been a lost art in building designs for so long, I am happy to see some vintage art deco designing in razors! Lets have a closer look at the razors finish...

For those who don't know, these razors are hand made in Italy, which means, they are not going to be finished with computer/robotic precision. If I am going to be 100% honest, I would be remiss if I didn't bring up the fact that the finish is not perfect, on this razor. As you can see, in some areas, the finish looks perfect, but other areas, such as the ends of the base plate and cap, and the handle, will not be so perfect.

There are many on B&B, who like to know about blade gap and exposure, infact, there is a dedicated thread for it right now. For those who are interested, I did the best I could to get some shots for ya. These are difficult to get with lower end camera's, so bare with me...

As you can see, the blade exposure really isn't extreme at all, its quite minor if you think about it. And that is also equally so, to the blade gap, which is also quite miner. It is my view that even the blade gap on my Henson AL13 Medium razor, has a greater blade gap, but its exposure is even less then that of the Fatip Grande razor.

The Fatip Grande has a solid weight to it, without going overboard, 2.4 ounces to be exact. This means it weighs less then the Feather AS-D2, less then the Rex Ambassador, less then the Merkur Futur, however weighs more then my Henson AL13 razor. I would consider this razor to be a mid-weight razor, in between light and heavy.

___________________________________________________________________________________

SWCT Experience With Fatip Grande Open Comb Gold Razor September 5th Shave Report!

​

First thing I noticed, was how smoothly the handle threaded onto the top cap, this is excellent design. I also noticed how many more threads it had, over your typical 3-piece razor too. I loaded the razor with a Nacet blade, that only had 1-use on it previously. While most razors, you can just tighten the handle till snug and stop, this seemed to result in the handle coming lose too easily, so give it a tad more when you tighten it down, just don't go crazy with it now!

Facial PREP:

I washed my face with Stirling Glacial Lemon Chill bar soap.
I applied some Stirling Executive Man Pre-shave oil.

SOAP USED:

Shave soap of choice, was the Stirling Glacial Lemon Chill shave soap, whipped up to yogurt consistency lather, in my Cayuen Workshop Dark Nebula bowl, using my Cayuen Workshop Dark Nebula 26mm shave brush.

STUBBLE Quantity = 3-days!

WTG FIRST PASSES:

I began with my WTG passes, and the Fatip razor wasn't shaving as smoothly as I had expected. I haven't had a lot of luck with my Nacet blades in most of my razors, so I am guessing a Wizamet would shave smoother with it. Having said that however, the razor seemed to do the WTG passes just fine, and even got under my jawline fairly well for the WTG passes. Once I was finished, I felt my face, and I was nearly BBS in my cheeks! It was clear that the open comb design got the job done here.

XTG/DTG SECOND PASSES:

Going XTG on my face, was quite smooth, and over my upper lip, surprisingly smooth! If I go west to east, then double back east to west, I can get more whiskers, it depends on beard growth, which is why wet shavers often suggest folks to map their beards. Suffice to say, this razor will get it done, just gotta have a little patience. I did my usual DTG for my neck area, a requirement due to whisker growth patterns. I found that the razor shaved this smoother then both my Rex Ambassador, and my Merkur Futur razors.

ATG THIRD PASSES:

I did my ATG passes, and this is where I felt that the razor shaved its smoothest. However, due to the blade gap being so miner, it did cause some slight inefficiency, making the ATG take a little longer to achieve a full BBS state, but it did get there. I did try different angles to see what worked best, shall or steep when going ATG, neither seemed to make much difference. About the only real difference is that riding the cap, made the shave feel more comfortable, but perhaps less efficient.

CONCLUSION:

The Fatip Grande Open Comb Gold razor, is not as aggressive as it looks. Having said that however, if your not careful with this razor, shave too aggressively with it, apply too much pressure, you will go from blade feel, straight past it, to bite ya good, hello weeper. I managed to go almost the entire shave without nicking myself with this razor, until I got to one of my problem areas, below the chin, and it got me, because I wasn't being careful enough. Overall, I feel that this was a smooth shaving razor, but I think it would probably be improved with a Wizamet blade. Also, a Gillette 7 O Clock GREEN blade might work well in it as well too.

What I liked most about the shave, was that the open comb design took down that bulk stubble with ease, not many single bar razors would do that. The razor has a nice weight to it, not too much, not too little. But it could benefit from having a longer handle with higher quality knurling. Having said that however, for the price I paid for it, I think I got my money's worth. The razor is absolutely stunning. IMHO, this is a razor for Intermediate & Expert wet shavers, not beginners who haven't mastered technique! So far, until otherwise stated, I am giving this razor a 4 out of 5

Congratulations on getting the Fatip!
Chris, grab a Gillette Platinum and slap it in that razor and see how it goes. For me it's amazing with those blades. You're 4 stars might become 5 stars.
But:
Two things:
1. Fatip's don't work with every blade!
2. Fatip's need to have the blade aligned whenever you put in a new blade. (If you don't do this, you'll get a rough shave!) They don't self align most of the time. The 6 Fatip's I've had have all needed this and it's a well know issue!

Load the blade while the cap is upside down,
Tighten the handle completely and look at the alignment on both sides of the blade. Looking at the head from the top and making sure that both sides of the blade line up parallel to the top cap..
If it doesn't:
Loosen the handle a bit and align the blade by shifting it with the blade tabs on the ends until you see it line up parallel on both sides of the blade with the top cap. Retighten the handle and done. Should take no longer than a minute!
LRod

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

Nice shots and good review, my friend.

I must admit I giggled when I read you found the box to be on the "flashy side", mister I had my nickname etched into my top cap.



Be careful there buddy, doing this to my lo storto kind of pushed the outer circle of the handle into my top cap.

Enjoy your razor!

I should give this one a try as well. Maybe it can find it's way into my Christmas stocking.

Hello Shaun!

Glad you liked the pictures!

Whenever I write a review, I generally give a short word on the packaging the item comes in, I rate the box based on design, and weather or not its flashy or basic. That statement had nothing to do with the razor itself. Since you brought up my Timeless razor, I will have you know its my holy grail modern razor, and it was perfectly engraved by Timeless, and ended up being the perfect avatar for my username.

I have no plans to send the handle through my top cap. If you hired Tim the Tool man Taylor, he surely would find a way I can assure you.

Yes, I think you should get this razor for sure. It actually wasn't expensive believe it or not! I think their nickel version of this razor is 25 smackaroos, and their gold razor is like 31 smackaroos.

Congratulations on a beautiful razor! Fatip is a classic name and a great little shaver. I had a nickel plated one I loved but my son seems to have permanently borrowed it lol. I may have to pick up a gold Fatip down the road. Enjoy!

Thanks Ron, I am so glad you like it! Fatip is a classic name in the wet shaving industry indeed, who doesn't know Fatip? Well, I didn't know about them once, when I was a new wet shaver. HEHE! Oh its one of those situations is it? Well, guess what? That worked out so excellent for you, cause now you can go and get the Fatip Gold Classic razor, you can get it in Grande, or Piccolo.

Congratulations on getting the Fatip!
Chris, grab a Gillette Platinum and slap it in that razor and see how it goes. For me it's amazing with those blades. You're 4 stars might become 5 stars.
But:
Two things:
1. Fatip's don't work with every blade!
2. Fatip's need to have the blade aligned whenever you put in a new blade. (If you don't do this, you'll get a rough shave!) They don't self align most of the time. The 6 Fatip's I've had have all needed this and it's a well know issue!

Load the blade while the cap is upside down,
Tighten the handle completely and look at the alignment on both sides of the blade. Looking at the head from the top and making sure that both sides of the blade line up parallel to the top cap..
If it doesn't:
Loosen the handle a bit and align the blade by shifting it with the blade tabs on the ends until you see it line up parallel on both sides of the blade with the top cap. Retighten the handle and done. Should take no longer than a minute!
LRod

Hello Rod! I really should break open those Gillette Platinum blades, they are sitting under the sink feeling lonely down there. I am actually well aware of the blade alignment lottery. But I was one of the lucky ones, who got a Fatip razor with perfect blade alignment. I just slapped the blade onto the top cap, snapped the base plate on, held it from the sides, as I tightened down the handle.

I checked the blade reveal, and I checked it again to confirm, and yep, blade is even on both sides. So, thats why I say, I think I won the blade alignment lottery on this one. Thanks for the info though! If the next time I slap a blade in my Fatip razor, and I find that my blade alignment is suddenly off, then I will realize I got lucky the first time, and do the procedure to correct.

 

[bartje-p]

Great review and pics, nice! I have had 2 (grande and picollo) but couldn't get along with either very much. Must say it was in my early days. I find them too rough during the shave. Results though are very smooth.

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

September 16th 2022 Shave Report - SWCT Reporting

Its been at least a couple of weeks since my last report on my Fatip razor. This week, I really wanted to put it to the test, for science!

Facial PREP:

I washed my face with Stirling Glacial Lemon Chill bar soap.
I applied some Stirling Executive Man Pre-shave oil.

SOAP USED:

Shave soap of choice, was the Stirling Wintergreen shave soap, whipped up to yogurt consistency lather, in my Cayuen Workshop Dark Nebula bowl, using my Cayuen Workshop Dark Nebula 26mm shave brush.

BLADE USED:

Gillette Nacet blade was used, with already 2-uses on the blade previously.

STUBBLE Quantity = 5-days!!!

AFTERSHAVE USED:

Stirling Wintergreen Aftershave Splash.

WTG FIRST PASSES:

My initial WTG passes, went surprisingly well, for 5-day whisker growth. It took a little longer sure, there was a lot of whiskers for the blade to get ahold of, but is sliced those whiskers off like a champ, and left me feeling almost BBS in spots. Consider me impressed!!!

XTG/DTG SECOND PASSES:

My XTG and DTG passes went pretty smoothly, the razor was still slicing off a lot of whisker growth, as your never going to get it all in single WTG passes, with 5-days of growth. Just as with the WTG passes, this was taking a little longer, as there were more exposed whiskers to go after. Stretching the skin can help to get more of the tricky ones in your problems areas.

ATG THIRD PASSES:

The ATG passes is where this razor shines. Because the open comb edges are rounded, they do not scratch the skin. And this is the only razor that I own, that provides the smoothest feeling on the skin, when going ATG on the neck. Once the whiskers are removed, this razor provides a surprising amount of smooth feel, as it literally glides on the slickness, provided by the lather. This is truly excellent!

CONCLUSION:

Todays shave went surprisingly well, considering the amount of whiskers growth that I had. And unlike last time, where I was careful till the last minute and gave myself a nick, this time, I did not. Todays shave went smooth without a nick, weeper, irritation or razor burn. Now, in all fairness, I did get several alum block stings, primarily in the moostash area, chin area, and a little under the jaw line. But this is because I always go for a BBS, and went over those spots a little too much.

Having said that however, just the fact that I can start with 5-days whisker growth, and not need to go over it with an electric razor, or Wahl trimmer first, and I was able to hack it down, all the way to a BBS, with my Fatip razor, makes this razor the king for 1-week whisker growth shaver. I would not consider this an everyday shaving razor though, I think its too aggressive for that. It has its place, as a multiple day whisker remover.

I still think it could benefit from having a longer handle with better quality knurling. But its like I said before, for the price I paid for it, I most certainly feel that I got my money's worth. So there you have it, a multiple day whisker remover, that looks darn gorgeous while doing it. And the best part is, you didn't have to pay a lot for it. I maintain my rating of....
4 out of 5

 

[80blades]

Nice reviews! I am a fellow fan of the FOCS... you do have to be careful with it, but it rewards care with a truly wonderful shave!

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

Nice reviews! I am a fellow fan of the FOCS... you do have to be careful with it, but it rewards care with a truly wonderful shave!

Thank you so much! I put a lot of effort into them, because I want to help other's, and I am just grateful, that folks are getting some use out of them, and showing their appreciation for them. I find the best way to be careful with any aggressive razor, weather it be SB or OC, is to simply ride the safety bar or ride the comb. Shave steep, not shallow, and the likelihood of the blade biting you, its next to 0. While some razors are designed for riding the cap, like the Feather AS-D2 for example, thankfully, these other razors do not!

 

[LRod]

I find the best way to be careful with any aggressive razor, weather it be SB or OC, is to simply ride the safety bar or ride the comb. Shave steep, not shallow, and the likelihood of the blade biting you, its next to 0.

I guess everything as always is YMMV. my results with every razor have been totally opposite. Shallow shave on the cap is very mild with little chance of any bites. Steep on the bar results in a more agressive shave requiring more care.
Those have been my results with pretty much every razor.

 

[Rosseforp]

Hello Rod! I really should break open those Gillette Platinum blades, they are sitting under the sink feeling lonely down there. I am actually well aware of the blade alignment lottery. But I was one of the lucky ones, who got a Fatip razor with perfect blade alignment. I just slapped the blade onto the top cap, snapped the base plate on, held it from the sides, as I tightened down the handle.

I checked the blade reveal, and I checked it again to confirm, and yep, blade is even on both sides. So, thats why I say, I think I won the blade alignment lottery on this one. Thanks for the info though! If the next time I slap a blade in my Fatip razor, and I find that my blade alignment is suddenly off, then I will realize I got lucky the first time, and do the procedure to correct.

Congratulations on your King's Butt Gold Grande, SWCT!
I liked mine so much I got two of them, and have no alignment issues with either.

~doug~