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The Big, Bad Fatip Grande

There seems to be much polarity on this forum. One one hand, you have those that love more "aggressive" razors such as the R41, the Joris, The Fatip, the Slant, and on the other those that love more mild razors such as the 40's Superspeed, EJ DE89, the TECH, the Feather.

For, there is no question to which "camp" I belong too....I prefer the most effective efficient razors I can find. When I go to "mild" I have to do more passes and get irritation, period. Regardless of blade choice, they simply don't do the same job as a more aggressive razor.

To those that make claim "it's all in the hands of the user" I say Hogwash!! Get behind the wheel of a Ford Fiesta.....now get behind the wheel of a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 ....same maker...but both cars drive and react to the driver very differently! The makers of these razor, from the beginning have designed them with different characteristics to appeal to various beard types, face shapes, etc.....it isn't one size fit all.

What surprises me the most is some of the anger and comments I hear from the mild crowd toward us that love the more aggressive razors....from we are trying to prove some macho thing, to we just have more technique. ...

This is my opinion the Fatip Grande...what many would consider a fairly aggressive razor


The overall build quality seems solid, well designed and thought out well....this is not a new design as this head was used on the past incarnation of the 2008 Muhle R41 as well as many believe on the Joris. The Grande uses a different handle then the Muhle in the Grande...longer but less weight....come in at 65grams.

The quality of the plating is closer to what I would expect from Merkur than I would expect from Muhle or Edwin Jagger.....small pin dot dumps on handle, and the head had swirl marks from improper buffing.


In my hand the Fatip felt balanced and comfortable. Just the right feel with slightly more weight toward the head.


I have only now used the fatip for two shaves, loaded with a Polsilver Super Iridium.

Shave 1:

Shaved a few hours post shower. Face lathered using a Vie-long Horse hair brush , loaded with VDH and C.O. Bigelow for a superlather. Fatip Loaded with S.I blade.

I had two days of growth....hadn't shaved waiting for this to arrive!

First pass.....WTG It was as smooth as silk for me and my face. At first I wondered if I was getting any stubble removal even though I was getting audible feeback. I rinsed my razor and noticed all the stubble in my lather...nice.

Second pass....ATG.....used short quick strokes and again smooth as butter....rinsed face to check for stubble for pass three and was shocked at how close to BBS I already was.....face was BBS, neck needed some work.

Third pass XTG used longer strokes on this pass and again very smooth...rinsed and checked...some small touch uos still needed under chin area mostly.

Touched up. rinsed and used alum block....no sting...nice. used Nivea AS balm.


Today I did notice I appeared to have more stubble than if I had shaved with the R41 the previous day....

Second shave:

Shaved as soon as I got out of shower.....used AoS Silverip brush, bowl lathered AoS Sandalwood cream.

First pass;


Let's skip this as the shave was identical to the previous days....no better or worse, just a nice BBS shave



My overall shaving impression:

For me this fits in nicely somewhere in between a Gillette NEW and a Muhle R41. For someone looking for something more aggressive and more forgiving, this may be your cup of tea.

It is not for every body.

For young men, those with thin beards.....this will be too much. For those of Italian, Greek, Middle eastern, Heritage, or those who are more mature ( Ok...us older guys!!) with thicker dense gray beards...this may be perfect for you.

I did not have one nick, weeper or cut and found the shave very smooth and rewarding. On a scale of 1-10...I would give this razor a strong 8 on its ability to give a great shave.

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"What we hold to be right, and good, and true IS right and good and true for all men." Sean Connery as King Arthur, Motto of the BOTOC
 
Great review, do you think that it is for denser beards, but what about sensitive skin which is what most have issues with.
 
Great review, do you think that it is for denser beards, but what about sensitive skin which is what most have issues with.


Good question Alex!! I would recommend this for those with sensitive skin, as most irritation that I get is due to more passes need to get a proper shave. It also removed a nice amount of stubble per pass...for those that arent as crazy about getting a BBS as I am, they could get a DFS is two passes.

It raises the beard very nicely and get in close to the skin without getting a "raw" feeling to ones face as some complain about the R41.
 
Did you get the Chrome or Nickel plated version?


I got the nickel...I prefer the look of nickel over chrome....I like the warmth and shine. And some chrome seems to peel and flake over time....none of my vintage nickel razors have ever peeled and flaked.
 
I created my own FaTip Grande by using the new Tradere handle (it goes on a bit wobbly but snugs up just fine) while I wait for the head to arrive. I must say that I like the razor much more with the heft of Tradere handle. I don't fall into either "camp" as I like both mild & efficient razors depending on my mood at the moment. I would take exception to the characterization of the Feather as "mild". I've watched popular videos done by experienced shavers where I can see they are not using the razor at the proper angle...it is in fact a very mild razor if used at a Tech like 30-degree angle but that is not how it should be used if you want an efficient shave. Some have complained that they get little or no audible feedback. That's not a YMMV issue, held at the proper angle it will approach a singing straight for noise. I would rate it in the middle of the spectrum and can easily get a 2-pass (with maybe a bit of touch up) BBS consistently. You must adjust your technique to find the Feather's sweet-spot. While very different, the Pils also demands an altered approach.

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I'm thinking one of BRW awesome wood handles would put this up in Joris territory :

BRW handle, fitted with a NEW LC:
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Joris:

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I have succumbed and ordered a Nickel plated Grande Fatip.

I like my EJ DE89, but I have found my Gillette NEW and Weber razors to be great shavers as well, looking forward to trying this out.
 
As you know I had ordered the FaTip Piccolo as it the same razor as the 2009 version of the Mühle R41, although I suspect Mühle provided additional buffing and plated it themselves.

Having it a week I have only shaved with it three times, but it will remain a keeper.

The shave is effortless, smooth and efficient. No need to say much more.
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As you know I had ordered the FaTip Piccolo as it the same razor as the 2009 version of the Mühle R41, although I suspect Mühle provided additional buffing and plated it themselves.

Having it a week I have only shaved with it three times, but it will remain a keeper.

The shave is effortless, smooth and efficient. No need to say much more.
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Do you have any pics with the SABI handle on it???
 
I have succumbed and ordered a Nickel plated Grande Fatip.

I like my EJ DE89, but I have found my Gillette NEW and Weber razors to be great shavers as well, looking forward to trying this out.


I think you will LOVE the Fatip!!




"What we hold to be right, and good, and true IS right and good and true for all men." Sean Connery as King Arthur, Motto of the BOTOC
 
I created my own FaTip Grande by using the new Tradere handle (it goes on a bit wobbly but snugs up just fine) while I wait for the head to arrive. I must say that I like the razor much more with the heft of Tradere handle. ...

View attachment 241456
Which FaTip did you order to get this head that you mated with the Tradere?

Have you tried a Joris? If so, how do you think the FaTip head on the Tradere handle compared?

Thanks.
 
Which FaTip did you order to get this head that you mated with the Tradere?

Have you tried a Joris? If so, how do you think the FaTip head on the Tradere handle compared?

Thanks.


Randall...if you read his post...he said he ordered the Grande....same as I ordered.....the fatip should fit any replacement handles....
 
I really like the Fatip head - one of the most aggressive I've used but also the best shave. I usually run one on a Bulldog handle (left image) - the 10-32 thread on the handle snugs up OK on the metric Fatip head.$muhlebarb.jpg
 
Today I did notice I appeared to have more stubble than if I had shaved with the R41 the previous day....

I was just into 2nd shave (with derby extra) and have moved to weber to allow the irritation to heal.
With fatip, the alum block stung. First shave was a disaster as I was overconfident. Second shave was better but still irritation. I used a shallow angle.

Due to the comb I can't get steep angle hence used a shallow angle of around 20. With R41, I can use both steep and shallow without problem. What angle are you guys using for irritation free shave?

With fatip grande, I think it is just a matter of learning curve for me. At the moment I find weber gives me just as good (irritation free and as long-lasting) a shave as fatip. But R41 is definitely in a class of its own for an irritation free, longer lasting shave. :thumbup:

Thanks for the tip on tradere handle - it fits nicely. The weber bulldog doesn't.
 
Ken,

Thanks for your great review
I've been looking for another razor and the Fatip Grande is it. It wieghs 65 gr, 5 more than the Muhle R41. At 24.49 British pounds sterling = $39.5416 US dollars shipped to my door, it's a good deal.
You bring up a good pointg about the comments regarding aggressive razors. Eh, to each his own but even though I have sensitive skin and grey hair, the R41 is a fine choice for me.
Your photos were very good as well. They helped with my choice to get the Fatip Grande.
Now all I need is a good brush

Have a Good Shave

Van
 
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Ken,

Thanks for your great review
I've been looking for another razor and the Fatip Grande is it. It wieghs 65 oz, 5 more than the Muhle R41. At 24.49 British pounds sterling = $39.5416 US dollars shipped to my door, it's a good deal.
You bring up a good pointg about the comments regarding aggressive razors. Eh, to each his own but even though I have sensitive skin and grey hair, the R41 is a fine choice for me.
Your photos were very good as well. They helped with my choice to get the Fatip Grande.
Now all I need is a good brush

Have a Good Shave

Van



It is an exceptional value and a great price!! there was a group buy here in Jan of this year and they were going for $45...see thread here.

I find the shave angle of both the fatip and the Muhle R41 very intuitive....the razor "tells you" what is best....but some don't seem to get that and run into issues.

If you are looking for a great brush that won't set you back a arm and a leg, try the Vie-Long horse hair
Another brush getting alot of love for the dollar value is the Muhle Sivertip Fibre....I know that it has become one of alex's favorite brushes, there is a pass around thread located here.
 
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