(Fatip) Piccolo Lovers’ Club: PLC

[epipeman]

Your thoughts echo everyone elses regarding the Premium.

The only blade I felt varied was using a 10 tuck of Feather blades during the FFFMM. All blades from the same tuck and some I'd get 3-4 really great shaves, others I'd only get 1-2. The only other blades I've used as extensively are Polsilver and Derby Extra and I havent had that issue with them.

I have yet to try a Feather, although I got some in a sample pack way back when. They have a formidable reputation and as I tend to flail around a bit I thought that I'd put them on one side until I grew calmer.
Perhaps they will have to bury them with me.

 

[Esox]

I have yet to try a Feather, although I got some in a sample pack way back when. They have a formidable reputation and as I tend to flail around a bit I thought that I'd put them on one side until I grew calmer.
Perhaps they will have to bury them with me.

I dont particularly like Feather blades, but as long as I use PdP or WK soaps, I dont feel the harshness. I havent used one in my Grande with either soap yet though, but they work great in my Old Types and R41.

 

[epipeman]

I dont particularly like Feather blades, but as long as I use PdP or WK soaps, I dont feel the harshness. I havent used one in my Grande with either soap yet though, but they work great in my Old Types and R41.

That's very interesting. I'm afraid that I'm a bit of a one-trick pony when it comes to soap - I use Arko daily. However, Palmolive shave sticks are also great for me. I don't get on with Erasmic. I've used Ingrams in a tube which is great if you like a cool "menthol-feel" shave, and in the past I've used a Wilkinson Sword blue tub of soap which I didn't get on all that well with - but that was the early 1980s if I recall correctly. I recently bought another one largely for fun but also in the hope that I'd "misunderstood" it in the past - it remains unopened. Oh - Palmolive in a tube also works well.
I don't have a sense of smell since having a bleed on the brain a couple of years ago (luckily I still taste things perfectly well), so my interest in soap is confined to whether it works comfortably and effectively with razor and blade.
I suppose I could try licking soap to appreciate the fragrance, but I fear that I would probably throw up.

 

[Esox]

That's very interesting. I'm afraid that I'm a bit of a one-trick pony when it comes to soap - I use Arko daily. However, Palmolive shave sticks are also great for me. I don't get on with Erasmic. I've used Ingrams in a tube which is great if you like a cool "menthol-feel" shave, and in the past I've used a Wilkinson Sword blue tub of soap which I didn't get on all that well with - but that was the early 1980s if I recall correctly. I recently bought another one largely for fun but also in the hope that I'd "misunderstood" it in the past - it remains unopened. Oh - Palmolive in a tube also works well.
I don't have a sense of smell since having a bleed on the brain a couple of years ago (luckily I still taste things perfectly well), so my interest in soap is confined to whether it works comfortably and effectively with razor and blade.

I do like a nice scent, but thats not all that makes a soap for me anymore. If I liked, or even could deal with the scent long term, Tabac may be the only soap I used, but I still felt harshness from Feather blades with it.

I dont know whats in either PdP or the WK soaps that makes them agree with me so much, but they do. Those two soaps have made a big difference in my shave comfort and post shave feel over all other soaps and creams I've used. Liking the scents of both is a bonus.

Proraso Red is another that stands out from the White and Green for me too. I dont know whats different with the Red, but I find the performance a step above the White and Green, and I really like the scent of Proraso White.

 

[epipeman]

I do like a nice scent, but thats not all that makes a soap for me anymore. If I liked, or even could deal with the scent long term, Tabac may be the only soap I used, but I still felt harshness from Feather blades with it.

I dont know whats in either PdP or the WK soaps that makes them agree with me so much, but they do. Those two soaps have made a big difference in my shave comfort and post shave feel over all other soaps and creams I've used. Liking the scents of both is a bonus.

Proraso Red is another that stands out from the White and Green for me too. I dont know whats different with the Red, but I find the performance a step above the White and Green, and I really like the scent of Proraso White.

I'm pleased that I have so many interesting soaps to try in the future, and thank you for telling me about the ones that work well for you.
One day I shall splash out and be adventurous and imaginative with soap, perhaps - but I was lucky to find Arko that ticks both of those boxes for me.
I love things that I can say "It works!" about. That's Arko, the Rockwell, the Wilkinson Sword Classic and now most particularly the Piccolo on the Original plate despite my very limited experience with it. Oh, and of course Nivea Sensitive Post Shave Balm. Alum. Toilet paper. The list goes on...
I have even converted the box that came with an I-Stick Pico so that it will provide a safe case for taking the Piccolo on trips ( by conversion I mean cutting a rubbery foam box liner with knife and scissors. When the razor is in place, bubble wrap under the lid. Not an engineering feat, but "It works!").
The best things about shaving are that the beastly facial hair is removed whilst refreshing the face, lots of new skills are gained and really friendly people met. That's worth a lot.

 

[Esox]

I'm pleased that I have so many interesting soaps to try in the future, and thank you for telling me about the ones that work well for you.
One day I shall splash out and be adventurous and imaginative with soap, perhaps - but I was lucky to find Arko that ticks both of those boxes for me.
I love things that I can say "It works!" about. That's Arko, the Rockwell, the Wilkinson Sword Classic and now most particularly the Piccolo on the Original plate despite my very limited experience with it. Oh, and of course Nivea Sensitive Post Shave Balm. Alum. Toilet paper. The list goes on...
I have even converted the box that came with an I-Stick Pico so that it will provide a safe case for taking the Piccolo on trips ( by conversion I mean cutting a rubbery foam box liner with knife and scissors. When the razor is in place, bubble wrap under the lid. Not an engineering feat, but "It works!").
The best things about shaving are that the beastly facial hair is removed whilst refreshing the face, lots of new skills are gained and really friendly people met. That's worth a lot.

I like what works too. The problem with that theory is, something else seems to work better, so the collection keeps growing.

As it went with blades, DE's, Brushes, SE's and soaps. I'm not sure it ends! lol

 

[Tanuki]

I'm afraid that I'm a bit of a one-trick pony when it comes to soap - I use Arko daily.

I should probably post this Arko question elsewhere, but...

Do you face lather/bowl/both? I’m getting a little tired of rinse-proof Arko residue on the razor and blade when I face lather. Plus the Arko I whip up using a stick mashed in the bottom of a coffee cup is pretty amazing. Maybe I should be reading face lathering tutorials. Anyway, I’m open to master-level Arko face lathering advice.

 

[Tanuki]

Love the advertisements I see on this thread:

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[epipeman]

I should probably post this Arko question elsewhere, but...

Do you face lather/bowl/both? I’m getting a little tired of rinse-proof Arko residue on the razor and blade when I face lather. Plus the Arko I whip up using a stick mashed in the bottom of a coffee cup is pretty amazing. Maybe I should be reading face lathering tutorials. Anyway, I’m open to master-level Arko face lathering advice.

I have a coffee mug (one of those that people go camping with - made of some base metal covered in white enamel with a blue lip). It's light and wide enough at the top for sensible brush work. I push an Arko stick into the base and it lasts for ages. I've face lathered by applying a stick directly to the face and then whipping it up with a wet brush. This works very well when travelling, for instance. Palmolive is equally good for face lathering imho - but the Arko stick squashed in a mug is my daily pleasure and "go-to" soap.

 

[Tanuki]

I have a coffee mug (one of those that people go camping with - made of some base metal covered in white enamel with a blue lip). It's light and wide enough at the top for sensible brush work. I push an Arko stick into the base and it lasts for ages.

OK, I'm emphasizing Arko-in-a-mug, saving face lathering for in-a-hurry and on-the-road situations. I just ordered two more economy boar brushes so I can rotate and let them dry a bit between uses. I haven't figured out finger lathering in a mug...

On a more Piccolo topic, I have a Premax branded nickel "Piccolo" on order. I am wondering if there will be any difference at all from the FaTip branded Piccolo. If I can't tell them apart I will use one of them to try and habituate my youngest son to OC wet shaving Italian style.

 

[epipeman]

It turns out that the Derby Premium works very well in the Piccolo (Original plate) for me. That was the 6th shave with it today, one a DFS+, the rest DFS. I certainly can't complain about that!

 

[epipeman]

Tried a Croma Diamant in the Piccolo yesterday. DFS after a lot of work. Tried again today - rough and delivered weepers from the outset. 1.1 shaves on a blade is really very poor, and so it has gone to the blade graveyard. A Voskhod did quite a good job of sorting out the mess it left behind.

 

[Mougrim]

Tried a Sharp Star blade in Piccolo today. DFS in three passes and almost no effort. This is a helluva fine blade and razor combo!

Надіслано від мого Redmi Note 3, використовуючи Tapatalk

 

[epipeman]

Tried a Sharp Star blade in Piccolo today. DFS in three passes and almost no effort. This is a helluva fine blade and razor combo!

Надіслано від мого Redmi Note 3, використовуючи Tapatalk

Very interesting. I have been putting off using the Sharp Star in the Piccolo as during OCtober I am deliberately trying blades that did not work well for me in my Rockwell 6c. Once OCtober is over this is one of the first blades I shall try (it worked really well in the Rockwell on R6 - three BBS shaves, a DFS+ and a middling shave all on one blade). I'm looking forward to this pairing even more now!

 

[Invicta]

First shave with the Fatip Piccolo Special Edition, Astra SP #1; Mitchell's Wool Fat, Lijun 24mm badger brush, RSC after shave balm and Cella ASL; all thanks to @Cal for his very generous gift (PIF) which included 4 tucks of blades. I was overwhelmed by the gift and thank Cal for his generosity.
I used my benchmark blade, the Astra SP, and it was a great shave; the razor was very different from the Fatip Piccolo Mk1 which is very aggressive; I was very much at ease with the Piccolo SE which felt like a DE89, so fairly benign. I was shaving much faster than when using the Piccolo Mk1. I finished with the Cella ASL which I am having difficulty tying down the fragrance. I will have to use it a few more times to firm up an opinion. This is just a first impression on the razor as I need to put a few blades through it to get a balanced view. Pictures of the gift and today's shave below I also attach a comparison of the blade reveal between the Piccolo Mk1 and the Piccolo SE; note the difference in blade reveal, SE on the right.

 

[Tanuki]

First shave with the Fatip Piccolo Special Edition, Astra SP #1; Mitchell's Wool Fat, Lijun 24mm badger brush, RSC after shave balm and Cella ASL; all thanks to @Cal for his very generous gift (PIF) which included 4 tucks of blades. I was overwhelmed by the gift and thank Cal for his generosity.
I used my benchmark blade, the Astra SP, and it was a great shave; the razor was very different from the Fatip Piccolo Mk1 which is very aggressive; I was very much at ease with the Piccolo SE which felt like a DE89, so fairly benign. I was shaving much faster than when using the Piccolo Mk1. I finished with the Cella ASL which I am having difficulty tying down the fragrance. I will have to use it a few more times to firm up an opinion. This is just a first impression on the razor as I need to put a few blades through it to get a balanced view. Pictures of the gift and today's shave below I also attach a comparison of the blade reveal between the Piccolo Mk1 and the Piccolo SE; note the difference in blade reveal, SE on the right.
View attachment 923789 View attachment 923790 View attachment 923791

Thanks for the blade reveal comparison. For anyone who wants to own a new Mk1, here is what worked out for me.

I ordered a Premax branded Piccolo from Zamberg (at a clearance price). It doesn’t have the FaTip stamp on the bottom of the baseplate, but otherwise appears to me to be a nickel plate Mk1. The cap and baseplate of the Premax both are narrower than my recent FaTip, according to my calipers. I haven’t done a head-to-head shaving comparison yet.

Pictures: first my recently purchased FaTip, then the Zamberg sourced Premax, each loaded with the same Personna blade, then the Premax in its packaging. Note the top of the Personna P is visible on the Premax/Mk1.

FaTip

Premax

Premax packaging

While you are perusing Zamberg, note that they are also discounting the ruthenium plated Premax “Grande” aka FaTip Grande Nero. And if you’ve gone that far, you should probably ‘fess up and make sure Cal allows you to register with BOSC.

 

[Uncas]

While discussing angles, exposure, rigidity etc., another thing I've noticed over the years is how well the head fits your face really matters. Each face has it's own contours, planes, and angularity. They are the roadmaps of our lives, and how easily any given head maneuvers the terrain, and how much of the exposed blade is in contact with different areas at any time, can effect our perception of the qualities we're after. My perception is that the reason the Piccolo is so good to me is that it fits my face very well. Given any decent blade/soap combo, it seems to pass over my face effortlessly without snagging on creases or folds, or any other drama. The familiarity of shaving with the same razor also adds to finessing pressure where its required. Anyway just thinking out loud, I'll stop before I forget what I'm talking about.

 

[epipeman]

While discussing angles, exposure, rigidity etc., another thing I've noticed over the years is how well the head fits your face really matters. Each face has it's own contours, planes, and angularity. They are the roadmaps of our lives, and how easily any given head maneuvers the terrain, and how much of the exposed blade is in contact with different areas at any time, can effect our perception of the qualities we're after. My perception is that the reason the Piccolo is so good to me is that it fits my face very well. Given any decent blade/soap combo, it seems to pass over my face effortlessly without snagging on creases or folds, or any other drama. The familiarity of shaving with the same razor also adds to finessing pressure where its required. Anyway just thinking out loud, I'll stop before I forget what I'm talking about.

You're right. I've never used a better razor for shaving the below nose/above upper lip area.

 

[Cal]

I ordered a Premax branded Piccolo from Zamberg (at a clearance price). It doesn’t have the FaTip stamp on the bottom of the baseplate, but otherwise appears to me to be a nickel plate Mk1. The cap and baseplate of the Premax both are narrower than my recent FaTip, according to my calipers. I haven’t done a head-to-head shaving comparison yet.

Hi John,
The Mk1s don't have the Fatip logo

on the baseplate.
I see that you enjoy driving me crazier with your annoying (and incorrect) capital T in Fatip; but if that's your intention you're succeeding (and happy BOSCing to you ). All Piccolos were nickel plated (only) prior to the Special Edition.

If you're interested here's an old post of mine in the Fatip Piccolo Mk1 & Mk2 differences thread.

 

[Tanuki]

I see that you enjoy driving me crazier with your annoying (and incorrect) capital T in Fatip; but if that's your intention you're succeeding (and happy BOSCing to you ). All Piccolos were nickel plated (only) prior to the Special Edition.

If you're interested here's an old post of mine in the Fatip Piccolo Mk1 & Mk2 differences thread.

Cal,

As much as I feel it is my duty to the BOSC to drive you crazier, and therefore closer to BOSC apotheosis, the spell check usually (but not always) changes ‘Fatip’ to ‘FaTip’ for me (I just now had to change that first ‘T’ back to lower case after spellcheck capitalized both.). Are you immune to this Faxxx virus? Or do you change them all back? Or maybe it is an Apple IOS thing. Somebody in Cupertino is a ‘FaTip’ evangelist and put it in their dictionary?!

Nice post on the Faxxx Mk1 / Mk2 differences. I can see that I will need more precise (and accurate) calipers to play in this league.

And yes, I am interested in Mk1 vs Mk2 because I’m CRAZY. As my better half helpfully points out at least daily.