Perfect Blade for a Fatip?

[Crouchback]

I started DE shaving about nine months ago with an Edwin Jagger DE89 using the Derby Extra blades that came with it. I loved it from the start, but of course wanted to start experimenting. Last month I got a sampler of blades together with a new Fatip Grande which I combined with a Weber Bulldog handle.

Rather than start with a new blade type I had never used, I popped a Derby into the Fatip for my first shave, and it was great. Much closer for me than the DE89, but certainly more aggressive.

The next day I put a Feather into the Jagger for the first time, and it was like a different razor. Incredibly close, incredibly smooth. A real revelation.

If the Feather did that for the Jagger, I thought, what would it do for the Fatip? Well, I'll tell you: it gave me the closest, most terrifying shave of my life; I don't need an adrenaline rush like that first thing in the morning. For me, that blade is just too much for the Fatip, so this brings me to my question: for those of you who love the shave you get from the Fatip, what is your favorite blade for it? Thanks.

 

[andrestole]

My favourite is feather, but that dosent help you much.. hmm. Astra?

 

[celestino]

When i had my FaTip, i used to use Super Iridiums. They work well in all razors.

 

[alex2363]

I prefer the Astras for daily shaving on Fatip.

 

[tacchini]

an astra gives me good results with the fatip, mine also has the weber handle,i did not like the fatip with the picalo handle, when changed to the weber its a 100% better razor for me.

 

[Samjax]

Astra is hard to beat for the money.

 

[Crouchback]

Thanks, all. I'll give an Astra a try tomorrow and let you know.

 

[KneeChee]

I used a 7 O'Clock Dark Blue in it the other day with great results, so lets say that one. Also Crystals (Israeli Personnas) work quite well.

I leave my Feathers, Personna Hospital Use, Super Iridiums, and other sharper blades for my solid bar razors. Not that there is really any reason to, my preferences have just morphed into that.

 

[CigarettesCigars]

My personal favorites are Perma-Sharps, Astras and Feathers, in that order. Feathers give a good shave but a little too aggressive. I've had good results from Personna Labs too. As with all shaving related topics, YMMV but Astras is a good starting place.

 

[Crouchback]

Tried the Astras this morning: cleaned face in shower with olive oil soap, then TOBS Eton College cream on a badger brush, Fatip + Astra, witch hazel, then Proraso after shave cream. Perfect shave with standard three-pass. Thanks.

One question. I got the Astras in a sampler pack from BullGoose, and the blade is left with four glue spots stuck to it after removing from the wrapper. I put the glue-spot side of the blade facing the top of the razor, and I don't think it had any impact on the shave. But it was both surprising and a little annoying. Has that been your experience with Astras or did I just get a strange batch?

 

[daccpa]

My FaTip loves the Super Iridiums and the Perma-Sharp Supers also. Fantastic shave with both of these blades.

 

[wagstaff]

Tried the Astras this morning: cleaned face in shower with olive oil soap, then TOBS Eton College cream on a badger brush, Fatip + Astra, witch hazel, then Proraso after shave cream. Perfect shave with standard three-pass. Thanks.

One question. I got the Astras in a sampler pack from BullGoose, and the blade is left with four glue spots stuck to it after removing from the wrapper. I put the glue-spot side of the blade facing the top of the razor, and I don't think it had any impact on the shave. But it was both surprising and a little annoying. Has that been your experience with Astras or did I just get a strange batch?

Astras have those. So do Polsilver SI blades. A Q-Tip and some alcohol could take care of that, or just taking a soft toothbrush to your razor every week or so. I find it a little annoying, too.

 

[Erazorhead]

I have the Fatip (again), the R41, the R89 and the 34c. If I put a Feather in a 34c or R89, I get a very close shave, not far off what the Derby does in my OC razors. A Derby in the Fatip/R41 is gennerally a lood free shave. Tomorrow I am going Feather with either of my OC's. IME, Astra produce a blade that's rougher than a badgers backside. But don't let my experience put you off.....

BTW, I bought and sold the Fatip, but now have another one. Once you get the hang of them, they are very good indeed, and no more difficult to use than the milder closed comb razors. They are very good for your technique.

 

[Griffo]

I've yet to try a Feather in the Fatip. that's because Astra SP are simply such a nice shave in that razor that i can't be bothered using the more expensive blade.

Other blades I like in the Fatip are bolzano (lovely but again too expensive to justify over the Astra), Racer, Asco and superMax Stainless.

I've used a Trig in the Fatip for thast couple of nights and had 2 very good shaves, nice and close and comfortable but these seem very much to be more YMMV than the Astra SP.

Next week the Personna Paltinum chrome are going to be tried out.

Apart from Derby I've yet to use a bad blade in the Fatip. It's a great razor but my face must really hate the Derby blade as whatever razor I try that blade in my face makes me suffer for too long. In the Fatip I had worse razor burn off the Derby than I've ever had in my life - including from cheap battery operated electric razor I had in my formative years. Now that is bad.

 

[Erazorhead]

OK, so this morning I tried the Feather in the R41. I used some shave oil, which I normally don't, with TOBS Jermyn St. soap. I have to say the shave felt a bit rough, with only a couple of blood spots. I hold the R41 at the same or similar angle to an R89 or 34C. The alum block afterwards produced plenty of sensation across my face. I think I'll stick with Feathers for my milder razors, but Derbys for the OC's. For some reason those combo's work pretty well for me.

I do think this type of experience brings up a couple of questions for me:

- Is it necessarily true that a more aggressive razor gives a better shave?
- All blades work well for all people, but you have to find the angle?
- Correct prep can make any razor/blade combo work?

 

[Crouchback]

- Is it necessarily true that a more aggressive razor gives a better shave?
- All blades work well for all people, but you have to find the angle?
- Correct prep can make any razor/blade combo work?

1. For me, it's a combination of closeness AND comfort. The closest shave I've ever gotten is with the Fatip + Feather blade combo, but it was not comfortable, so I won't be back to that combo.
2. I don't actually think that all blades work well for all people because we all have different skin. Shaving should be a pleasure and not a chore, so if you have to fight to find the right angle with a given blade it doesn't seem worth it to me.
3. I think that the right prep can make any razor/blade combo WORK, but that doesn't mean it would be an enjoyable experience.

Just my two cents.

 

[smokeydave]

I use astra sp best shave with them. But of corse YMMV

 

[Walter0255]

I was using Super Iridiums until a recent switch to Personna Blue Med Preps. A delightful shave when used with Tabac Soap.

 

[vocalistbob]

I get a DFS with an Astra in my Fatips and Joris/Plissons, but I get a BBS shave with a Feather, although I can get a bit of irritation too. I believe every razor, from the mildest to the wildest benefits from the sharpest blade, but that doesn't necessarily mean that your skin can tolerate it or that your technique can support it. "A man's got to know his imitations".

A few weeks ago I asked a hair stylist/barber friend if he'd like to try an old Gillette Slim (like his father used). I asked him what kind of blade he wanted to use and his reply was "the sharpest you have".

 

[awa54]

I do think this type of experience brings up a couple of questions for me:

- Is it necessarily true that a more aggressive razor gives a better shave?
- All blades work well for all people, but you have to find the angle?
- Correct prep can make any razor/blade combo work?

1) I pretty much agree with Crouchback, but would add that in my experience the ultimate compromise between aggressive and survivable is the Gillette New short comb head, it allows a wider set of angles and more blade exposure than a mild razor, but is easier to control than a wide-open head like the Fatip.
2) forget working well, some blades work *terribly* for some people... and blades can behave very differently in different razors! Once your technique reaches a certain point you can pretty much shave with any blade that isn't defective (by "shave" I mean remove most of the whiskers to better than SAS standards while leaving all the blood inside), but the best results will still come from the blades that are suited to your razor and shaving style.
3) what he said! good prep makes any blade/razor combo better.

My Fatip experience is just starting out, I have owned it for about two weeks now... with the blades I usually use (Feather & Lab Blue) it seems like I have to pay much more attention to the *exact* angle (I wind up keeping it very low), which gives a really effective and comfortable first pass, but later passes are progressively harsher feeling (no blood thankfully) and the final result is just shy of DFS standards. I think I'll try out an Astra or Rapira to see what they feel like in the 'tip, I want to like it, but so far it hasn't impressed, just demanded my unflinching exactitude without repaying it with a closer shave.