Fatip razor (pros & cons)

[Iridian]

Another thing that amazes me for the price you pay you get a solid brass razor which if looked after you can pass down to your kids. Or am I wrong here

Both.
Let me explain:
1. All Fatips are made of brass. They will last.
2. All Fatips have a plating/coating that makes them shiny. And notoriously doesn't last long.
3. Supposedly limited to the black chrome coating, but I have seen nickel and golden plated Fatips losing it, too.
4. For what it is worth, I don't use mine too often anymore, they are still pristine.

Fatip just doesn't want patina. But plating flaking... fine? I wish they wouldn't do that.

This said, I rate all their heads higher than the Mühle and EJ heads, particularly the R89/DE89. Just by shaving characteristics the Rocca gets beaten, too.
The "Lo Storto" (~ the crooked) slant, commonly on anglophone forums referred to as FOCS, is a razor that shouldn't miss in and collections, even with my misgivings that can be summed up with...

"hot damn, nobody needs or wants a plating/coating for a brass razor".

But coatings seem to be an Italian trait/thing. My Scyletto also has a coating. Just so that they can have a black, golden and silver one making the three different models/gaps.

Hey this reply got longer than anticipated.

 

[Dave himself]

Well, the nickel plating might start to wear thin after about 70 years or so.

Brass can be replated. I've got a Gillette New from the 1930s that looks like it's hardly been used.

Thank you so much for your reply I suffer from very bad anxiety and depression. My anxiety kicked through the roof at the thought of my razors not lasting a long time then my depression kicked in as I thought of my razors not lasting long enough for to pass down to my sons. Both my Fatips are chrome plated I'll just have to oder them again in nickel to make sure they are still here when I pass on. Oh and not looking sympathy just trying to explain the way my mind and thoughts work which can be hard at times.

 

[Dave himself]

Thank you to @LRod @NorthernSoul and at @Iridian for putting my mind at peace I really appreciate it gentlemen

 

[Guido75]

Does anyone have an idea were I can get an Il Grosso in the UK? There shops seem to run dry of Fatips after Brexit...

Gifts and care would be an alternative next to what @Dave himself already mentioned.

Guido

 

[Guido75]

For me the perfect Fatip would be the closed comb slant with a Grande handle (they don't make this combo).

Well, I don’t want to sound like an enabler (), but they actually do. It is the Piccolo Lo Storto that is harder to get or less frequently advertised.

Giftsandcare carries them and Rasoigoodfellas too. Or if you are CONUS Maggards has them as well.

Love your journey by the way! Makes me want to buy them all too!

Best,

Guido

 

[NorthernSoul]

Thank you so much for your reply I suffer from very bad anxiety and depression. My anxiety kicked through the roof at the thought of my razors not lasting a long time then my depression kicked in as I thought of my razors not lasting long enough for to pass down to my sons. Both my Fatips are chrome plated I'll just have to oder them again in nickel to make sure they are still here when I pass on. Oh and not looking sympathy just trying to explain the way my mind and thoughts work which can be hard at times.

No need to order again, Dave, there's a layer of nickel under the chrome. The chrome plating is probably going to be more durable than nickel over the years, since chrome is a harder material and there is a greater thickness of plating on those.

 

[JanVanDerVoort]

Beautiful!
I think my slant experience hasn't been great because of the Piccolo handles light weight. You probably got more efficiency with this one because of the increased weight of the Lo Storto handle. I want to see the difference of weight/size between that Lo Storto and the Grande. I've already been using the Grande but today my Lo Storto closed comb slant arrives so I'll be able to compare the two. Hopefully I get a better experience vs. the OC Piccolo Slant.

The Picollo handle is slightly heavier than the Grande!

 

[JanVanDerVoort]

Thank you so much for your reply I suffer from very bad anxiety and depression. My anxiety kicked through the roof at the thought of my razors not lasting a long time then my depression kicked in as I thought of my razors not lasting long enough for to pass down to my sons. Both my Fatips are chrome plated I'll just have to oder them again in nickel to make sure they are still here when I pass on. Oh and not looking sympathy just trying to explain the way my mind and thoughts work which can be hard at times.

You can also try Xanax!

 

[Dave himself]

You can also try Xanax!

I'm on about 4 different meds none of them seem to be working Xanax was the first one they tried my on they were no good.

 

[LRod]

Even though it might not look like it, the Piccolo handle weighs just a few grams more than the Grande handle, since the Piccolo handle is solid.

That's probably the case but in my hands that's not what I feel. Could be the change in length that changes the balance point, making it feel heavier. My tests aren't official or scientific, they're just based on what I feel when I shave.

 

[Dave himself]

No need to order again, Dave, there's a layer of nickel under the chrome. The chrome plating is probably going to be more durable than nickel over the years, since chrome is a harder material and there is a greater thickness of plating on those.

I'm an even happier camper now .

 

[Dave himself]

I'm really looking forward to collecting all the Fatips. I'm gonna have to get more razor hooks to show them off.

 

[LRod]

Hey all,
I pulled out the classic closed comb Grande today. I wanted to compare it to the closed comb slant (again). Last time I used that one first then I got the slant. I wanted to try it after using the slant this time!
Changed the blade as well with a Gillette platinum. The blade change made a huge difference. First round with the classic closed comb was with a Wilkinson German blade and the shave was OK. So I used a Gillette yesterday for the first shave with the slant. It was so good that I had to try a Gillette on the classic closed comb razor.
It made it great: Efficiency a tad less than the OC but smooth as can be, Love it!
I'm seriously going to have to reconsider what I find the best of the bunch!
The closed combs give me incredibly close and smooth shaves. I dare say that they perform better (for me)
than the open combs. I know everyone loves the OC since it's the "original" Fatip, but man the closed combs are
awesome.
So that's that!
I love the closed comb Fatip's!
Tomorrow I'll be trying the classic Nickel OC Grande for the first time. This will let me revisit that head/handle combo and I'll be using it with the Gillette platinum blade as well.
We'll see how the comparison goes tomorrow!
LRod

 

[Dave himself]

I've only just got the slant but my first 2 shaves with was with GSB for me the blade and razor pairing are excellent. My next pairing with the razor was going to be a Nacet but you've peeked my interest so I'll try a Gillette Platinum in it to see if I get similar results. The GSB is giving me fine smooth shaves but I was gonna try the Platinums after the Nacet so I'll just change it round a bit.

 

[LRod]

I've only just got the slant but my first 2 shaves with was with GSB for me the blade and razor pairing are excellent. My next pairing with the razor was going to be a Nacet but you've peeked my interest so I'll try a Gillette Platinum in it to see if I get similar results. The GSB is giving me fine smooth shaves but I was gonna try the Platinums after the Nacet so I'll just change it round a bit.

Cool, I've never tried Nacets and now you piqued my interest in those, LOL!!
Matter of fact, I have an unopened tuck waiting to get used. I'll give them a try.
I also have a tuck of Kai blades that I haven't used.
I'm gonna try the closed comb classic Grande with the Nacet's, Kai and I'll try some Feathers too.
Since it's on the mild side, it should pair well with really sharp blades (I hope).
I just don't want to lose the smoothness it has!

 

[Dave himself]

To me the Nacets and GSBs always feel smoother on their second shave I've never tried Kai,s as I've found the Nacets sharp enough for me. I really tried to like feathers but to my face they were just to rough even on the second shave I've a tuck of them somewhere so I can try them again sometime. I believe in the old saying. Never say Never

 

[LRod]

To me the Nacets and GSBs always feel smoother on their second shave I've never tried Kai,s as I've found the Nacets sharp enough for me. I really tried to like feathers but to my face they were just to rough even on the second shave I've a tuck of them somewhere so I can try them again sometime. I believe in the old saying. Never say Never

Same here in my experience. The Feather's are now just experimental whenever I want to revisit them in a mild razor. But they have always been on the rougher side for me. I use Bic's a lot which get (incredibly good & smooth) on the second + shave(s). I guess Nacets are the same in that respect. Anyways, I'll try the Nacets this week.

 

[Alex Jr]

Hey all,
I pulled out the classic closed comb Grande today. I wanted to compare it to the closed comb slant (again). Last time I used that one first then I got the slant. I wanted to try it after using the slant this time!
Changed the blade as well with a Gillette platinum. The blade change made a huge difference. First round with the classic closed comb was with a Wilkinson German blade and the shave was OK. So I used a Gillette yesterday for the first shave with the slant. It was so good that I had to try a Gillette on the classic closed comb razor.
It made it great: Efficiency a tad less than the OC but smooth as can be, Love it!
I'm seriously going to have to reconsider what I find the best of the bunch!
The closed combs give me incredibly close and smooth shaves. I dare say that they perform better (for me)
than the open combs. I know everyone loves the OC since it's the "original" Fatip, but man the closed combs are
awesome.
So that's that!
I love the closed comb Fatip's!
Tomorrow I'll be trying the classic Nickel OC Grande for the first time. This will let me revisit that head/handle combo and I'll be using it with the Gillette platinum blade as well.
We'll see how the comparison goes tomorrow!
LRod

Is it worth getting a closed comb slant when compared to the standard closed comb?

I have the standard gentile and I agree with you, it’s smooth as butter. I also have the FOCS and find that less smooth than the gentile.

Only issue with my gentile is that I have to watch for uneven exposure between both sides when loading the blade. It seems it’s always sticking out on one side vs the other. Not blade alignment, but exposure.

Any similar issues with yours? Would you say it’s worth getting the closed slant?

Thanks!

 

[Dave himself]

And I'll order a tuck of Bic,s it's always good to try a blade to find that it works and add it to the arsenal.

 

[Dave himself]

Tuck of Bics inbound should be here around Saturday.