Slants are usually very comfortable to use and very efficient.
I have more slants than regular razors.
I would stay away from the Yaqi Aggamemnon when starting slants
I'm Thinking Of Getting An OC Razor. Fatip Piccolo Best Bang For Buck?
- Thread starter Alum Ladd
- Start date
I have more slants than regular razors.
I would stay away from the Yaqi Aggamemnon when starting slants
The Fatip OC slant shaves very similarly to the standard Fatip OC, I'd say it actually gives a smoother shave. Don't worry, you don't have to use a different technique with the slant. That said, the standard Fatip OC is good, too. My favorites in the range are the Slant and the Schone standard OC (no longer made).
Try a steeper blade angle with the Fatip OCs, that tends to give a closer shave. After using one for awhile, you can get a great shave almost on auto-pilot.
Try a steeper blade angle with the Fatip OCs, that tends to give a closer shave. After using one for awhile, you can get a great shave almost on auto-pilot.
I think the nickel-plated Fatip Piccolo OC will make an excellent razor. I use the nickel-plated Fatip Grande a lot and think it’s a great razor. The handle is larger, so it’s easier to see and hold, but it’s hollow, so the razor is lighter than the Piccolo and you can pneumatically remove water from it when cleaning (with how vigorously this is performed doubling as a sobriety/sanity gauge).
Whichever choice you make, just remember you’ll wish you made a different choice and your new, merely perfect in each and every way razor (perfect razors need manual blade alignment, which is so easy even I can do it) might somehow not feel perfect enough. After you’ve justified subsidizing all unanticipated economic shortfalls of your nation’s historic actions of recent years and your home is wall-to-wall open comb safety razors, you’ll find yourself going back to your Fatip open comb and neglecting the rest. Well, that’s my take on it, but I’m still a few razors away from proving it.
Whichever choice you make, just remember you’ll wish you made a different choice and your new, merely perfect in each and every way razor (perfect razors need manual blade alignment, which is so easy even I can do it) might somehow not feel perfect enough. After you’ve justified subsidizing all unanticipated economic shortfalls of your nation’s historic actions of recent years and your home is wall-to-wall open comb safety razors, you’ll find yourself going back to your Fatip open comb and neglecting the rest. Well, that’s my take on it, but I’m still a few razors away from proving it.
About 7 years ago I had the V1 Piccolo and hated it ( I have very sensitive skin on my neck). I have the FOCS. I say buy the slanted version because it consistently aligns the blade parallel to the cap unlike the non-slanted Fatips. The razor is light and it is very hard to cut yourself. However, all Fatips I possess(ed) suffer from uneven blade exposure. Then there is the non-standard threading, so you cannot change handles etc. The customer service is not comparable to other manufacturers like Feather or Rockwell in my experience - I hope your Italian is fresh.
In terms of aggressiveness, I would say FOCS = Rockwell 6SR5, which is too much for me for regular shaving, but bearable if I skip at least half a week.
The only other OC I have tried are the Merkur 15C and Chinese Old Type heads, both more comfortable than Fatip heads but even more inconsistent and made of pot metal. AFAIK all Fatips are solid brass, which is a big plus in this price segment.
In terms of aggressiveness, I would say FOCS = Rockwell 6SR5, which is too much for me for regular shaving, but bearable if I skip at least half a week.
The only other OC I have tried are the Merkur 15C and Chinese Old Type heads, both more comfortable than Fatip heads but even more inconsistent and made of pot metal. AFAIK all Fatips are solid brass, which is a big plus in this price segment.
(Fatip Fanboy here.
)Immediately I would say you have a faulty FOCS. The blade loaded in the FOCs should align parallel to the baseplate guards, NOT the cap (as is the case with many slants).
There are some relative slant idiosyncrasies discussed in THIS POST if you are interested.
Whichever option you pick, the FaTip is likely your ‘best bang for the buck!’ 
Yes, it is indeed the best bang for the buck. Brass, Italian style, smooth and efficient shave. I get irritation from most open combs, even the Karve. But no irritation with the FOCS.
Yes, I recommend the FOCS as well and agree it’s the best bang for the buck.
The chrome FOCS is £20 at Connaught’s which just under 1.5 stones
I use one of my Fatip razors at least every Fatip Friday: Fatip Friday - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/fatip-friday.608052/Hello friends and colleagues!
I am interested in starting to use an OC razor.
At the moment Connaught Shaving is selling the Fatip Piccolo nickel plated for the very good price of £17.40 (About $13.20), included is a pack of 5 Silver Blues. It looks a handsome piece, and is brass I believe.
I would get a vintage Gillette, but OC Gillette's are considerably more than treble the price on the UK bay at the moment. I want to see if an OC agrees with me and the Piccolo seems an economic starter OC given my slightly strained resources. (TL;DR. Explaining it to Mrs. Ladd)
Is the Fatip a good entry-level OC?
Any advice on how to use one? My technique is quite good now, but this experience is only with CC razors at this time.
Connaught is also doing Cella at a great price which I have never used but would love to, so I will be buying that too from them if I do get the Fatip.
RAD I know..
The Fatip Lo Storto Originale (FOCS) and the Fatip Grande are both excellent. I use my Piccolo SE with a Grande handle - works with my hand and grip much better.
Get the Piccolo. That’s a very good price
I can highly recommend the picollo OC nickel version without any hesitaton.
For that price you can't go wrong.
(and I get the best and closest shaves using a steep angle with it)..
For that price you can't go wrong.
(and I get the best and closest shaves using a steep angle with it)..
Is Facebook marketplace an option or is Kijiji a thing in the UK? I have an open comb 40's Gillette that cost me $5. It's not pretty as the gold is all gone but it works great.
- Thread starter
- #36
Thank you all Gentlemen, for your insights, experiences and technical information on the Fatips. It has proved invaluable to me!
Just an update. A few moments ago I found a new v2 Fatip Piccolo on Amazon (last one) for the very decent price of £14.99, including postage. So I pulled the trigger on it.
I love the sound of the FOCS, but this is the best entry point for an OC according to colleague consensus, and I have to learn to master a standard OC sometime.
I really appreciated your help and the positive, good humoured and encouraging tone of your responses. This is why B&B is so respected. Cheers my friends!
Just an update. A few moments ago I found a new v2 Fatip Piccolo on Amazon (last one) for the very decent price of £14.99, including postage. So I pulled the trigger on it.
I love the sound of the FOCS, but this is the best entry point for an OC according to colleague consensus, and I have to learn to master a standard OC sometime.
I really appreciated your help and the positive, good humoured and encouraging tone of your responses. This is why B&B is so respected. Cheers my friends!
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Congrats on the purchase I'm sure you'll love it.
As another committed Fatip fanboy I have all 3 of the ones mentioned in this thread, the Piccolo v1 & v2 and the FOCS, and love all 3.
However, for me, the v1 Piccolo takes top honours.
In my experience it's the smoothest, most efficient razor without switching into SE's
As another committed Fatip fanboy I have all 3 of the ones mentioned in this thread, the Piccolo v1 & v2 and the FOCS, and love all 3.
However, for me, the v1 Piccolo takes top honours.
In my experience it's the smoothest, most efficient razor without switching into SE's
I'm one of the few, likely very few, that didnt like the slant version. I found the midpoint of the blade, the transition area in the torqued blade, to scrape more than cut. Adjusting angle of use didnt make any difference and I've since put it away. I love the handle on the slant though and wish I would have waited to buy a gold one to match my Grande, but, I do love my Grande.
I've also used the smaller and heavier Piccolo handle and preferred the Grande handle as well. I found the Piccolo handle, with the fine vertical fluting, slides downwards in my fingers and I had to constantly readjust my grip. It was also too short and thin for my liking but I did appreciate the slightly extra weight. The hollow and lighter Grande handle has a recessed hole in the bottom that sits perfectly on the side of my little finger. It never slips downward in use.
Fatips have generous blade exposure. Enough so that you might find that a little more obvious than you may be use to. Don't be intimidated, just adjust your angle of use. Once you get the hang of it, which might be sooner than you think, I'm quite sure you'll enjoy it very much.
Well, there's certainly some out there.
I can't give much advice if you're considering a non-slanted razor. I can give some, however! I lately acquired a RazoRock BBS-OC which surprised me most pleasantly. Considering it comes from Canada it may nor may not be economically worthwhile for you.
I think if you're going to try a Fatip OC that you ought to try the FOCS. I stubbornly held off buying one for simply years, but it's really one of my favourite razors.
One factor I now consider when looking at OC razors is the space between the teeth. Too much space and suddenly I'm carving off skin bumps instead of going over them. Not a huge problem but hitting one of those rare bumps with that lovely icy-hot zing of a fresh sharp blade tends to let some of the happy-gas out of my shave.
O.H.
- Thread starter
- #40
Well it came this morning, under 48 hours from order to door.
What a handsome little fella!
Great weight, nice balance point, and the machining for the price is actually excellent. There are no soldering marks around the head pins.
The handle is deeply knurled vertically, it feels grippy.
Better shave with it then.
What a handsome little fella!
Great weight, nice balance point, and the machining for the price is actually excellent. There are no soldering marks around the head pins.
The handle is deeply knurled vertically, it feels grippy.
Better shave with it then.
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