Is it worth getting a Fatip?

[Raven Koenes]

Nothing left unsaid.

 

[shave/brush]

I had a Parker 94R, 3 piece razor that had a really large blade gap and that razor shaved close and smooth. You can't generalize on anything except blade exposure. Even with blade exposure it depends on the angle of the head as to how it will shave.

 

[Raven Koenes]

I had a Parker 94R, 3 piece razor that had a really large blade gap and that razor shaved close and smooth. You can't generalize on anything except blade exposure. Even with blade exposure it depends on the angle of the head as to how it will shave.

I'm also sure there are many different opinions on the smoothness of the 94r. Have you done a side by side comparison with it and a Fatip? No need to generalize, a rigid blade will shave more smooth than a non-rigid blade exposure or not. Have you not read the Rigid Blade Bible according to Rabidus? In the book of Esox it is stated that gap plays a part in all of this. This is where religion and science converge, or put more succinctly where opinion and facts merge. I got enough of it right to make my case as to why I find Fatips superior in the world of DE's. It beats out the mere religion/opinion of "ewww they are too hard, they're icky, I don't like them".

 

[Uncas]

Victimized or validated, it's always a choice.

 

[Jinx13]

Wow!

When I started this thread, I never thought it would have the effect it has. 10 pages of discussion and growing, and I am still using the Piccolo....and loving it!!

I think that is what is all comes down to, finding the gear that works for you. The Piccolo I have, did not work for Jaidmaster, but works great for me (thank you again!!). Now I have not idea if it is a V1 or 2, and it does not matter. I have never really looked hard at if the blade is aligned perfectly, sometimes I don't look at all. All I know it is it is giving me great shaves and something to focus on in the morning. My previous daily driver was to the point I hardly paid any attention anymore, and it did not matter.

The pages of discussion are great, at least for me. There are countless years of knowledge and shaving theory packed into one thread. I had not considered ( or knew much about) things like blade gap, and how the blade is held, now I am starting to think about it a bit.

Razors much like everything else in this great hobby is "YMMV".

I may not be able to get on here a lot, but it is always a rewarding experience when I do.

Thank you everyone

David

 

[Akis]

...Every single one of them aligns and I have never bought one that didn't...

That's no good Rave, a Fatip with zero offset is a dangerous instrument .
I can spare you the trouble , just send them over to me and i'll properly have them disposed . I'll even chip in to help with the shipping cost in order to help you with this unlucky development.

 

[Raven Koenes]

That's no good Rave, a Fatip with zero offset is a dangerous instrument .
I can spare you the trouble , just send them over to me and i'll properly have them disposed . I'll even chip in to help with the shipping cost in order to help you with this unlucky development.

I know if it wasn't for bad luck and trouble...I must have been born under a bad sign. Thanks for having my back as always. Do you have a Fatip that won't align? I'd really like to try one that works as intended.

 

[Raven Koenes]

Wow!

When I started this thread, I never thought it would have the effect it has. 10 pages of discussion and growing, and I am still using the Piccolo....and loving it!!

I think that is what is all comes down to, finding the gear that works for you. The Piccolo I have, did not work for Jaidmaster, but works great for me (thank you again!!). Now I have not idea if it is a V1 or 2, and it does not matter. I have never really looked hard at if the blade is aligned perfectly, sometimes I don't look at all. All I know it is it is giving me great shaves and something to focus on in the morning. My previous daily driver was to the point I hardly paid any attention anymore, and it did not matter.

The pages of discussion are great, at least for me. There are countless years of knowledge and shaving theory packed into one thread. I had not considered ( or knew much about) things like blade gap, and how the blade is held, now I am starting to think about it a bit.

Razors much like everything else in this great hobby is "YMMV".

I may not be able to get on here a lot, but it is always a rewarding experience when I do.

Thank you everyone

David

You're welcome! The V1 cap is narrower and is 18mm with a higher curve. The V2 is 19mm and doesn't have as high of a curve. I'd have to see a picture of yours.

Fatip V1

Fatip V2

 

[jmudrick]

You're welcome! The V1 cap is narrower and is 18mm with a higher curve. The V2 is 19mm and doesn't have as high of a curve. I'd have to see a picture of yours.

Fatip V1
View attachment 882517
Fatip V2
View attachment 882519

Apologies if you"'ve done the photo comparison before, but how did the base plate change (if at all) between v1 and v2 (I only have v1 and the TG)?

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

[Cal]

Apologies if you"'ve done the photo comparison before, but how did the base plate change (if at all) between v1 and v2 (I only have v1 and the TG)?

Check out THIS POST in "Fatip Piccolo Mk1 & Mk2 differences."

 

[jmudrick]

Check out THIS POST in "Fatip Piccolo Mk1 & Mk2 differences."

Brilliant thanks. Small differences but they did make changes. Guess I'll have to buy a v2.

FWIW I'm still exploring my vintage collection of razors with similar configuration. Been playing with the Coopers. The answer to the is it it worth it question with the neglected Cooper three piece is yes.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I've own 17 Fatips, one Joris, and one Schone for a total of 19 made by Fatip Premana. I've bought 3 more that I pif'ed for a total of 22. Every single one of them aligns and I have never bought one that didn't. This includes 4 of the 18mm cap old stock, and a 1980's vintage Fatip with 12 teeths instead of 11 and a thinner 19mm cap than the new 19mm cap.

Why so many? Because they are a superior shaver that punch well beyond their price point.

Here is why; It has to do with no gap, blade rigidity, and blade exposure. Lack of Rigidity is due to the amount of blade flex that is allowed in a razor. The further back on the base plate the clamping bars are the more the blade is not held rigid and this allows for blade flex. On the Old Type and Fatips there is no clamping bar on the base plates. The blade clamps at the furthest points forward on the cap directly to the base plate. This does not allow for blade flex especially on the new 19mm Fatip caps due to a wider cap thus less blade exposure.

A friend of mine, TobyC, once said that Gillette got it right the first time with the Old Type. What is right about the Old Type? It is blade rigid with no gap. It is also closer to a straight, and as time went on Gillette created continually more user friendly models some better than others. A blade that seats on the base plate, without gap, is smoother than a razor with gap due to how the razor is allowed to glide across the skin. The trade off is that it may be prone to bite more if you are not mindful of your technique especially on razors with more blade exposure.

After the Old Type, and it's sister the New Improved, comes the Gillette New razors. They still are closer to the Old but Gillette is becoming more user friendly, or milder, by this point. All Gillette New's have blade gap. Of the two the Gillette New LC clamps the razor back further than the Gillette SC which is still held blade rigid at the furthest points of the cap. The blade is not held as rigid in the New LC. The New SC is the smoother of the two razors. People say that the New LC is the more aggressive of the two due to that. What is actually occurring is that there is more blade flex on the New LC making it less smooth than the New SC though both are pretty equal in efficiency, and the Gillette Old Type and Fatips are even smoother due to no blade gap which the New SC has.

Efficiency and aggression can be mistaken, and just because a razor is smooth doesn't mean it won't bite or be prone to over shaving by the operator. One has to be mindful of technique. The other three piece razors by Gillette worthy of mention are the Techs. These are Gillette's most user friendly and mild of the three piece razors. Both have gap and the pre-war Tech does not hold the blade rigid due to clamping further back than the post-war Tech which clamps the blade rigid. Of the two the consensus is that the pre-war Tech is the more aggressive and the post-war tech is the smoother. This is all for the same reasons stated above. The post-war Tech is the more comfortable razor due to blade rigidity. Both are mild equally efficient razors with the edge in smoothness going to the post-war Tech.

I always give my hats off to King Gillette for inventing the Gillette Old. I honor the Gillette Old over Fatip because it came first. Performance wise I favor the Fatip as superior due to the reasons stated above, no gap, rigidity, blade exposure, plus improvements made over time remaining true to the style of the Old Type, which include; added weight, thickness, curve of cap and base plate, and how it clamps the blade down on the ends of the comb (which doesn't allow hair to be caught and pulled in the comb ends).

If you are OCD about having to check blade alignment each time you load and aesthetic quality don't buy a Fatip. If on the other hand you don't mind checking the blade alignment, and are OCD about superior performance in smoothness and efficiency i.e., function over form, buy a Fatip. It's a twenty dollar all brass razor that punches way above its price point, quirks and all, and can still hold its own with razors that cost hundreds of dollars more that sadly lack blade rigidity and have blade gap.

These are the specific reasons why Fatip has killed my rad, and why you won't find a better all brass razor. You can go on Ebay and grab any old vintage brass Gillette, but not all Gillettes are made equal for the reasons described above. If you get an Old Type be prepared to have to check alignment as well, but it's the closest Gillette you will find to a Fatip OC.

Side note: You own a Schone and a Piccolo that you don't like, or use, due to having to take time to align them. I would consider trying to find a home for them to someone who might appreciate them. That would be kind.

Excellent post, Rave. So good, sir.

Fatips are hard to beat razors. My favorite of the group is the Gentile (yes, I have the range of their razors, and yes, I'll buy the slant). I had a Schöne with QC issues acknowledged by the vendor who gave me a replacement. Rave, you really covered the territory here. Congratulations.

No, I'm not a Fatip Fanboy and mostly I use injectors, but this is an excellent post.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Raven Koenes]

Excellent post, Rave. So good, sir.

View attachment 882660

Fatips are hard to beat razors. My favorite of the group is the Gentile (yes, I have the range of their razors, and yes, I'll buy the slant). I had a Schöne with QC issues acknowledged by the vendor who gave me a replacement. Rave, you really covered the territory here. Congratulations.

No, I'm not a Fatip Fanboy and mostly I use injectors, but this is an excellent post.

Happy shaves,

Jim

Thanks Jim, I take that as proof, coming from you, that it is possible for me to express my thoughts on occasion with clarity and coherence. Yay! The Gentile is also my favorite Fatip, at least when I'm using one, who am I kidding? I love them all. I too am not a Fatip Fanboy, who am I kidding?

 

[shave/brush]

Isn't the Gentile suppose to be a bit milder than the Grande? Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Raven Koenes]

Isn't the Gentile suppose to be a bit milder than the Grande? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Yes, If for no other reason than the solid bar with nine prongs. The cap is the same as well as the dimensions of the base plate. Fatip say's the Gentile may require more passes. I have found that with practice, and minding the angle, I get the same result as I do with my Fatip OC's in the same number of passes (which is two and a half).

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Isn't the Gentile suppose to be a bit milder than the Grande? Correct me if I'm wrong.

I'm not sure what milder means, but the Gentile is definitely smoother than the other Fatip razors and the Schöne and the Plisson (at least mine).

The Gentile is a very, very smooth shaving razor. I like it compared to the other Fatips. I know they say the Gentile is less efficient. That may be, but only by a tad. The Gentile is a razor most people who like a DE would be happy with in my opinion.

No, I'm not saying Fatips are the only good razors; my usual razor is likely to be an injector. That said, I think I'll use my Gentile tomorrow.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[albsat]

@Chan Eil Whiskers

A gentile or a post tech? Which one would you choose?

 

[Uncas]

@Chan Eil Whiskers

A gentile or a post tech? Which one would you choose?

I like them both, but favor the added heft of the Gentile. It lends a certain determination to the blade which adds to the smoothness for me. Either one is a recipe for a great shave, but now I'm going to have to grab one of my Gentiles for tonights shave.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

@Chan Eil Whiskers

A gentile or a post tech? Which one would you choose?

Fatip Gentile: More efficient. No gap to speak of.

 

[sowilson]

What else are you going to use when it's Italian day?