Have you noticed on your Piccolo that the blade on one side of the head tends to show slightly less than the other? I have a Piccolo with the newer version head and it seems to favor this way of sitting my Astra SPs. Of course I’ve fiddled with it before and gotten the fit correct, but I’ve also come to appreciate it’s “off side” way of sitting also. I actually shave with it this way often. The “shorter” blade side I use in my care areas and the “longer” I use in my others. I still get BBS consistently all around, but the “shorter” side makes things a good bit easier and faster on my care areas.
Fatip Testina Gentile Review
- Thread starter lafrancis
- Start date
Have you noticed on your Piccolo that the blade on one side of the head tends to show slightly less than the other? I have a Piccolo with the newer version head and it seems to favor this way of sitting my Astra SPs. Of course I’ve fiddled with it before and gotten the fit correct, but I’ve also come to appreciate it’s “off side” way of sitting also. I actually shave with it this way often. The “shorter” blade side I use in my care areas and the “longer” I use in my others. I still get BBS consistently all around, but the “shorter” side makes things a good bit easier and faster on my care areas.
Absolutely! It's not much, but there. And if I really fiddle with it, I can get it pretty much perfect, but it's a pain. So I no longer bother.
But oddly enough, while it is slightly off, the blade is perfectly square!
I haven't really paid attention as to any difference in efficiency, or otherwise. But I suppose I might, now.
I do really like Feather blades in my Piccolo, though. And GSB, in my Gentile.
I was looking at this on my Grande, and it looks like part of the problem may be the play between the posts and their holes.
As you tighten the handle the top will be pulled in towards one side and there's not much to be done about it.
Yea, it can be finagled and fiddled with to make proper, but I don’t mind it at all. It’s almost like having a 2 setting adjustable that you don’t have to turn a knob for!
I cant do a first pass ATG shave without buffing. The stroke can only be so long before the razor starts to lift and I either have to back off and stroke into the stubble again, in the same direction or any other, or, increase pressure to the point of keeping the blade engaged. The second option isnt the best option lol.
When I start buffing right side jawline and down my neck, my strokes are shorter on my jawline and basically directly right to left. As I work down my neck, the strokes increase in length, but my direction also changes towards my opposite eye, and then straight S-N under my chin. Its a fluid motion and my razor never stops or leaves my skin no matter how many times the direction may change. I keep buffing until I get no feedback from the razor at all.
If I remember correctly, you've changed to a steeper angle. That will make buffing a lot more difficult to do and I doubt very much it would be comfortable for me.
Thanks.
Yes. Either-way the ground has to be adequately covered, whether by multiple passes, multiple strokes, or buffing. I suppose the choice of technique comes to personal preference; different strokes for different folks, eh!
But turning BOSC, what do you think of my "sweeping the floor" analogy? It makes intuitive sense, to me. By using multi-direction passes, we assure ourselves of attacking the individual hairs from all directions.
Thanks.
Yes. Either-way the ground has to be adequately covered, whether by multiple passes, multiple strokes, or buffing. I suppose the choice of technique comes to personal preference; different strokes for different folks, eh!
But turning BOSC, what do you think of my "sweeping the floor" analogy? It makes intuitive sense, to me. By using multi-direction passes, we assure ourselves of attacking the individual hairs from all directions.
I guess that depends on your beard map. Mine is basic.
I've pushed a broom miles over the years on shop floors, driveways and the like and I generally work in an arch pushing towards a point. I shave very much the same way. Short quick strokes moving to one side or the other all aimed at a certain point. Not pushing all the way across the floor with a single push. I've never swept long hallways
Alright, that's a fair response.I guess that depends on your beard map. Mine is basic.
I've pushed a broom miles over the years on shop floors, driveways and the like and I generally work in an arch pushing towards a point. I shave very much the same way. Short quick strokes moving to one side or the other all aimed at a certain point. Not pushing all the way across the floor with a single push. I've never swept long hallways
Anyway, I'm sure I'll try it again down the road.
I bought my first Fatip recently from Connaught. The Fatip Testina Gentile is gorgeous. Compared to my EJ DE89, it does have considerable blade feel, and it can bite. But all else equal, it seems to deliver a closer shave than my EJ DE89.
But I do have a question for expert Fatip users here.
I do not have any issue aligning the blade. I just put the cap on the desk top, drop in the blade, then the base plate, then just screw in the handle; there isn't much play. The blade exposures from the top cap are even on both sides.
The problem is I realise that the distance from the blade edge to the safety bar is different for both sides. One of the side has a larger gap/distance than the other.
(Side 1 - the closer gap side)
(Side 2 - the large gap side)
Does this look "normal"?
Thanks.
But I do have a question for expert Fatip users here.
I do not have any issue aligning the blade. I just put the cap on the desk top, drop in the blade, then the base plate, then just screw in the handle; there isn't much play. The blade exposures from the top cap are even on both sides.
The problem is I realise that the distance from the blade edge to the safety bar is different for both sides. One of the side has a larger gap/distance than the other.
(Side 1 - the closer gap side)
(Side 2 - the large gap side)
Does this look "normal"?
Thanks.
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
Yes.
I can fiddle with it and get the blade more even but find I don't really need it all that even.
Fiddling with it means kinda knocking the razor lightly against my off hand with the handle not tightened to move the blade over a bit. Attempting a perfect look is way too much bother and totally unnecessary. This fiddling with the Fatip thing should be a matter of ten seconds max.
Thank you for your reply.
After continuous use of this Fatip for 8 days, I do not find either sides of the plate being more aggressive than the other. So, the slight non-symmetrical blade-to-safety bar distance turns out to be a non-issue.
And I have not thought of going back to my EJ DE89 yet!
Hello to all. I'm relatively new to wet shaving. I'd say about 15 months new. But I've bought a lot of razors to try to find which one(s) work for me. I've now got a selection of around 30 razors vintage and new. I have pretty much developed a good enough technique. In my collection I also have a Fatip Gentile & a Fatip Piccolo. After comparing shaves with all my razors I've come to the conclusion that my Fatips are my favorite razors. I judge my razors on smoothness, efficiency, quality build, price and the most important is my post shave. Post shave meaning no irritation, nicks, cuts, bumps, and feel and look of skin. My Fatips are great razors. A all brass razor for very low price is unbeatable. The blade that I find works great for me in my Fatips is the Treet Platinum. The Piccolo open comb v2 is just a pleasure. I've made up my mind just to use these 2 razors for shaving. This is my opinion on the Fatip razors.
I bought a Fatip Gentile, and took it for a first shave this morning. My thoughts (and pictures - I apologize for both the macro lens distortions/curvatures and that the blade posts are partially obscured by water, which I should have dried off first)):
I'd read good things about the Gentile being a friendly and efficient razor, as well as being made out of brass as opposed to Zamak. I'd also read about blade alignment issues and questions about quality of construction. Since Fatip is coming out with slant versions of their open and closed comb razors, I decided to bite the proverbial bullet and try a Fatip Gentile in gold.
First impressions: higher quality than I had expected. Fit, finish, and packaging were all very good. Shiny gold plating without issues, nice heavy brass head and handle, handle is a tube so it rinses easily which I didn't expect. No flaws or defects. I took a closer look at the blade alignment posts, as I'd read that they are narrower at the bottom which causes the blade alignment issues, and found that the posts are indeed narrower at the bottom (with some resulting blade play), but it's not because of sloppy soldering or poor quality - the 2 guide posts actually deliberately curve inwards slightly. I'd thought that the narrowing was a quality issue that wouldn't be present if you got a "good" razor; it doesn't look like that on mine, but rather a design choice.
Blade alignment: using the aforementioned "place cap on towel, add blade on top, add baseplate straight down, and screw handle on" works reasonably well. Out of 3 tries, the blade looks straight and relatively even on all 3 tries. When I tried to do it in my hands without a counter, I would get a little more blade asymmetry and angling. It turns out that the shave was unaffected, so ultimately I'd call this a poor manufacturing decision (my Merkur safety bar, by way of contrast, has even thickness guide posts all the way down to the inside surface of the cap), but an irritation/inconvenience rather than a significant flaw. The amount of extra time it took to assemble the razor was several seconds; I didn't have to fiddle with the blade tabs (which only stick out a small bit, which I like).
Shave: Gillette Silver Blue blade (new), Proraso green, 1 pass with a little overlap (1.5 passes effectively). I was nervous given blade asymmetry concerns as above, but that disappeared after the 10th stroke using both sides. Not much blade feel for me. The shave felt very smooth and easy, with a nice glide while cutting. I found the shave to be quite friendly, with no nicks/cuts/weepers/irritation. It is also quite efficient, as much so as any other very good razor that I own (Tech, Merkur/EJ/Gillette head, Progress/Variant, vintage Gillette). The handle was reasonably grippy, much like a Progress - if wet, it still works well when I grip it at where the vertical fluting changes to the knurled bands at the bottom. I wouldn't recommend shaving with it if you have soapy hands without a rubber band/alum, though.
I plan on comparing it to my Mamba 70, as I've read that both razors curve the blade more.
Overall, I really like the razor: it looks and feels like a high quality, closed comb razor with a nice aesthetic. It shaves efficiently and comfortably with a nice glide. The blade alignment is irritating (I think that they should redesign the posts), but doesn't really affect much if you assemble the cap on a counter with a towel and take a few extra seconds. Highly recommended (assuming the blade alignment doesn't change, which I don't think that it will, and that the gold plating is durable, which I hope that it is). I will be trying more Fatips in the future.
I'd read good things about the Gentile being a friendly and efficient razor, as well as being made out of brass as opposed to Zamak. I'd also read about blade alignment issues and questions about quality of construction. Since Fatip is coming out with slant versions of their open and closed comb razors, I decided to bite the proverbial bullet and try a Fatip Gentile in gold.
First impressions: higher quality than I had expected. Fit, finish, and packaging were all very good. Shiny gold plating without issues, nice heavy brass head and handle, handle is a tube so it rinses easily which I didn't expect. No flaws or defects. I took a closer look at the blade alignment posts, as I'd read that they are narrower at the bottom which causes the blade alignment issues, and found that the posts are indeed narrower at the bottom (with some resulting blade play), but it's not because of sloppy soldering or poor quality - the 2 guide posts actually deliberately curve inwards slightly. I'd thought that the narrowing was a quality issue that wouldn't be present if you got a "good" razor; it doesn't look like that on mine, but rather a design choice.
Blade alignment: using the aforementioned "place cap on towel, add blade on top, add baseplate straight down, and screw handle on" works reasonably well. Out of 3 tries, the blade looks straight and relatively even on all 3 tries. When I tried to do it in my hands without a counter, I would get a little more blade asymmetry and angling. It turns out that the shave was unaffected, so ultimately I'd call this a poor manufacturing decision (my Merkur safety bar, by way of contrast, has even thickness guide posts all the way down to the inside surface of the cap), but an irritation/inconvenience rather than a significant flaw. The amount of extra time it took to assemble the razor was several seconds; I didn't have to fiddle with the blade tabs (which only stick out a small bit, which I like).
Shave: Gillette Silver Blue blade (new), Proraso green, 1 pass with a little overlap (1.5 passes effectively). I was nervous given blade asymmetry concerns as above, but that disappeared after the 10th stroke using both sides. Not much blade feel for me. The shave felt very smooth and easy, with a nice glide while cutting. I found the shave to be quite friendly, with no nicks/cuts/weepers/irritation. It is also quite efficient, as much so as any other very good razor that I own (Tech, Merkur/EJ/Gillette head, Progress/Variant, vintage Gillette). The handle was reasonably grippy, much like a Progress - if wet, it still works well when I grip it at where the vertical fluting changes to the knurled bands at the bottom. I wouldn't recommend shaving with it if you have soapy hands without a rubber band/alum, though.
I plan on comparing it to my Mamba 70, as I've read that both razors curve the blade more.
Overall, I really like the razor: it looks and feels like a high quality, closed comb razor with a nice aesthetic. It shaves efficiently and comfortably with a nice glide. The blade alignment is irritating (I think that they should redesign the posts), but doesn't really affect much if you assemble the cap on a counter with a towel and take a few extra seconds. Highly recommended (assuming the blade alignment doesn't change, which I don't think that it will, and that the gold plating is durable, which I hope that it is). I will be trying more Fatips in the future.
You get a lot for your money when you buy a Fatip. The gold plating on mine is as nice now almost three years later as the day I got it and I expect it to outlast me.
I read a thread 'somewhere' (maybe on another forum) where the Fatip owner made up a wee brew of epoxy and put a small bead of it around the base of the pins.
Just enough to fill in that gap, and leave a slight bevel at the join of the pin and cap.
That wee bevel, apparently, made the blade slide in to the correct spot each time. No more alignment issues.
I haven't bothered with mine as I don't mind a few extra seconds to align things as I put a new blade in.
But...one of you might also want to play with some expoxy and see if it helps you.
Just enough to fill in that gap, and leave a slight bevel at the join of the pin and cap.
That wee bevel, apparently, made the blade slide in to the correct spot each time. No more alignment issues.
I haven't bothered with mine as I don't mind a few extra seconds to align things as I put a new blade in.
But...one of you might also want to play with some expoxy and see if it helps you.
I have the Fatip Piccolo oc and the Fatip Gentile. Both razors are great shavers. And I have to align the blade myself, but it's no big deal.
OK, 3 shaves in - still excellent. Reminds me of my Mamba 70. Not sure if it's closer or easier, but definitely a keeper. I'm not brave enough to mess with epoxy, so I'll keep using the inverted towel assembly technique. And I do love gold razors . . .
I have a question for the folks have both a FaTip Testina Gentile and an open comb version and shave shallow (as opposed to steep or neutral):
So long as the top caps are identical (such as two MK IIs), do they behave/feel the same when shaving?
Thanks for your time
So long as the top caps are identical (such as two MK IIs), do they behave/feel the same when shaving?
Thanks for your time
I got tired of dealing with the poor fit where one side of the blade was exposed more. The shave is just too mild. It is in a drawer and haven't used it for years. I have fit issues with the Grande but not nearly as bad; and I like the Grande shave much better. Still hit or miss as far as blade alignment.
I at one point in time was looking at the fatip range and it was the poor blade alignment that put me off there are other razors out there with better build quality for a few £ more I went with the Rockwell 6c much better razor in my eyes .
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