Cool Stefano! Used Cella and Floid original!
The Intercontinental All Italian Shave-Off
- Thread starter SteveWY
- Start date
Ciao Stefano,
I'm currently living in Napoli and I'm not sure where a good place to buy shaving items would be. I checked at Auchan and got some Proraso, but not sure where, or what else I should be getting here. Any suggestions?
Thanks
Ben
I'm currently living in Napoli and I'm not sure where a good place to buy shaving items would be. I checked at Auchan and got some Proraso, but not sure where, or what else I should be getting here. Any suggestions?
Thanks
Ben
Another wonderful shave today.
The Bolzano blade is even better today, smoother but still sharp. Fatip is going the job perfectly, never losing the focus.
And Cella with Omega are simply top class...
The Bolzano blade is even better today, smoother but still sharp. Fatip is going the job perfectly, never losing the focus.
And Cella with Omega are simply top class...
Wonderful photo Stefano
Ciao Ben,
I don't know much about physical shops in Naples (lucky you! Wonderful city!!)
I will ask to some friends and I will let you know after!
Enjoy your great Proraso (and buy a good stock...)
I have to get an Italian flag broom. That's a great looking brush!
tankerjohn
A little poofier than I prefer
Ciao tutti! I had my first all-Italian (or rather mostly Italian) shave of the week this morning. As previously posted, I'm rocking the Omega Pro 48, red tub Cella, and Proraso AS, with a little help from a rather Germanic Merkur 38c and Russian Astra SP. The shave was fabulous, but to be honest, I expected nothing less.
I wanted to say a few things about the Pro 48. It is, of course, an iconic piece of Italian shavery and although Omega has a rather extensive line of professional brushes, the 48 seems to be the preferred one of most barbers in Italy. I confess I've never been to Italy, let alone been shaved by an Italian barber, however the evidence I can find on-line seems to support that conclusion. What I'm about to post is merely my experiences with this brush; I don't pretend to be some kind of expert. Nor do I want to suggest that there's a "right" or "wrong" way to use it. Also, I've beat this drum before in various threads, so bear with me.
Like a lot of new wetshavers, I was intrigued by the Pro 48 pretty early on. The Omega Pro brushes seem to be heavily recommended to newbies because they are such an excellent value. When I first acquired it, I tried to use it like my other brushes, which is to say, I held it by palming the handle and facelathered by splaying out the knot as I swirled and scrubbed.
Of course, it made a huge mess flinging lather all over the bathroom, and splaying out that giant knot got lather everywhere - in my ears, nose, mouth, etc. So, I figured it was a fun brush to use from time to time for a change of pace. But I'd have to be Andre the Giant to need a brush that big, especially for face lathering.
My perspective changed when I was surfing youtube, indulging in a little shaving video watching, as is my guilty-pleasure from time to time. I happened upon a series of Italian barber videos, and low and behold, they were all using Pro 48's, as I had heard about. But they weren't making a huge mess lathering up their clients. I noticed how they were holding the brush - by pinching the knot and varying the hold depending on how and where they applied the lather. They were moving the knot with their fingers, almost like the brush was an extension of their hand. It was really cool to see. So I tried copying what I saw in the videos.
The handle, which felt big and awkward holding it by cupping it like I had been, now nestled right into my palm.
My fingers were engaged on the knot, allowing me to manipulate it to "fan" it out, creating a narrow edge for going under the nose and ears, and wide edge for cheeks and neck. No more lather in my nose or ears. Holding it by the knot also effectively reduces the loft and prevents the lather flinging.
Ah, now the lathering was nice and in control. Learning to use the brush this way really gave me a new appreciation for the large lofted brush. I no longer think of the Pro 48 as just a novelty, but as a very versatile brush that's a key player in my regular rotation.
I'm curious to know if this is all common knowledge to guys in Italy who see these brushes in use on a regular basis. And it could be that normal people in Italy don't even use these brushes at home. I don't really know.
I wanted to say a few things about the Pro 48. It is, of course, an iconic piece of Italian shavery and although Omega has a rather extensive line of professional brushes, the 48 seems to be the preferred one of most barbers in Italy. I confess I've never been to Italy, let alone been shaved by an Italian barber, however the evidence I can find on-line seems to support that conclusion. What I'm about to post is merely my experiences with this brush; I don't pretend to be some kind of expert. Nor do I want to suggest that there's a "right" or "wrong" way to use it. Also, I've beat this drum before in various threads, so bear with me.
Like a lot of new wetshavers, I was intrigued by the Pro 48 pretty early on. The Omega Pro brushes seem to be heavily recommended to newbies because they are such an excellent value. When I first acquired it, I tried to use it like my other brushes, which is to say, I held it by palming the handle and facelathered by splaying out the knot as I swirled and scrubbed.
Of course, it made a huge mess flinging lather all over the bathroom, and splaying out that giant knot got lather everywhere - in my ears, nose, mouth, etc. So, I figured it was a fun brush to use from time to time for a change of pace. But I'd have to be Andre the Giant to need a brush that big, especially for face lathering.
My perspective changed when I was surfing youtube, indulging in a little shaving video watching, as is my guilty-pleasure from time to time. I happened upon a series of Italian barber videos, and low and behold, they were all using Pro 48's, as I had heard about. But they weren't making a huge mess lathering up their clients. I noticed how they were holding the brush - by pinching the knot and varying the hold depending on how and where they applied the lather. They were moving the knot with their fingers, almost like the brush was an extension of their hand. It was really cool to see. So I tried copying what I saw in the videos.
The handle, which felt big and awkward holding it by cupping it like I had been, now nestled right into my palm.
My fingers were engaged on the knot, allowing me to manipulate it to "fan" it out, creating a narrow edge for going under the nose and ears, and wide edge for cheeks and neck. No more lather in my nose or ears. Holding it by the knot also effectively reduces the loft and prevents the lather flinging.
Ah, now the lathering was nice and in control. Learning to use the brush this way really gave me a new appreciation for the large lofted brush. I no longer think of the Pro 48 as just a novelty, but as a very versatile brush that's a key player in my regular rotation.
I'm curious to know if this is all common knowledge to guys in Italy who see these brushes in use on a regular basis. And it could be that normal people in Italy don't even use these brushes at home. I don't really know.
John,
you did it an excellent post! Im impressed!
I can just add that you can splay a little less on the face the brush, just to feel the points of the hair if desired.
And also I do a paint motion as final step on each pass just to smooth it out. Funny uh!
Now you are appreciating even more the larger knots and brush, and their impressive versatility.
This is after the second pass today, a little smoother lather, still rich as yogurt. Wonderful shave this morning. The Bolzano blades are going smoother as expected but still sharp. I'm aiming to have a full week with a single blade. Not that easy for me, but an aggressive razor like Fatip helps.
you did it an excellent post! Im impressed!
I can just add that you can splay a little less on the face the brush, just to feel the points of the hair if desired.
And also I do a paint motion as final step on each pass just to smooth it out. Funny uh!
Now you are appreciating even more the larger knots and brush, and their impressive versatility.
This is after the second pass today, a little smoother lather, still rich as yogurt. Wonderful shave this morning. The Bolzano blades are going smoother as expected but still sharp. I'm aiming to have a full week with a single blade. Not that easy for me, but an aggressive razor like Fatip helps.
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Because of this thread I decided to give my old friend Cella a whirl today. I haven't used it in a few months , and the performance was beautiful. I think once I thin my soap heard a bit I will make my lineup Cella,Proraso Red,and a Stirling soap. The faithful Omega 11574 performed great as always. Great idea to start this!
tankerjohn
A little poofier than I prefer
Yes, thank you Stefano. A light touch is another important lesson I learned for handling the Pro 48. I don't splay it out like that anymore, except maybe a bit on the neck.
Another excellent shave this morning; I was facetribating the whole commute into work. I think I'll offer a few personal observations on tub Cella vs. brick Cella next. But no time at the moment.
Another excellent shave this morning; I was facetribating the whole commute into work. I think I'll offer a few personal observations on tub Cella vs. brick Cella next. But no time at the moment.
Wonderful John!
Before going into big discussions (let's stay on the short side so to celebrate)...
As far per mail received from the factory there should be no difference but the packaging.
I suppose that's almost the same, although the brick is more putty in consistence and slightly less fragrances.
It's probably due to packaging and stock time on a shelf, obviously tub are going out faster.
I cant perceive actually any difference in performance, probably others more skilled will do.
But the brick for sure holds a terrific value and performance.
- Thread starter
- #33
Greetings Gentlemen and Happy Monday! I was gone traveling over the weekend so my posts were limited via smart phone. I have two shaves on my original SOTD set up. Saturday's Shave (#1):
The Razor: I always approach using my Grande with some apprehension especially if I have not use it for a long time. FaTip could stand for "Fear and Trepidation in Progress"! I loaded the Bolzano blade and it aligned perfectly. I know some have had trouble getting their FatIp to align a blade but mine is not particular at all.
The Soap: I loaded my Omega Flag brush with Cella using a Modified-Marco Method, I do give my brushes a couple good shakes and use a drier brush than Marco. I load for about a minute and then face lather. I suppose I could build mounds of lather if I used the bowl and whipped up a mountain of lather. I really love the slickness and protection of Cella. I agree with Stefano that Cella in brick for seems to have less fragrance than the red tub version.
The Brush: This Special Edition Omega is very large for me but I have come to enjoy the larger brush. Enough backbone and size to load and lather well. It can be a little floppy for my taste but if I use just the tips it works well. As with all my brushes, I face-lather and use circular and back and forth motions initially to soften the whiskers and get good coverage and then finish with paint strokes to even out the lather.
The Shave: The FaTip/Bolzano combination is nothing to be trifled with. I know the basic "rules" for this razor are VERY light pressure and careful blade angle throughout. The blade cut very well through the shave but I did have a few weepers resulting from not giving due attention to angle through each stroke. Must watch that. I ended up with a nice smooth shave w/o irritation except for the weepers.
Post-Shave: I went simple on Saturday and used just a splash of witch hazel with lavender oil.
The Razor: I always approach using my Grande with some apprehension especially if I have not use it for a long time. FaTip could stand for "Fear and Trepidation in Progress"! I loaded the Bolzano blade and it aligned perfectly. I know some have had trouble getting their FatIp to align a blade but mine is not particular at all.
The Soap: I loaded my Omega Flag brush with Cella using a Modified-Marco Method, I do give my brushes a couple good shakes and use a drier brush than Marco. I load for about a minute and then face lather. I suppose I could build mounds of lather if I used the bowl and whipped up a mountain of lather. I really love the slickness and protection of Cella. I agree with Stefano that Cella in brick for seems to have less fragrance than the red tub version.
The Brush: This Special Edition Omega is very large for me but I have come to enjoy the larger brush. Enough backbone and size to load and lather well. It can be a little floppy for my taste but if I use just the tips it works well. As with all my brushes, I face-lather and use circular and back and forth motions initially to soften the whiskers and get good coverage and then finish with paint strokes to even out the lather.
The Shave: The FaTip/Bolzano combination is nothing to be trifled with. I know the basic "rules" for this razor are VERY light pressure and careful blade angle throughout. The blade cut very well through the shave but I did have a few weepers resulting from not giving due attention to angle through each stroke. Must watch that. I ended up with a nice smooth shave w/o irritation except for the weepers.
Post-Shave: I went simple on Saturday and used just a splash of witch hazel with lavender oil.
- Thread starter
- #34
I skipped Sunday. Monday's Shave (#2):
Same set up but I am glad to be back in my Main Arena... Only change to the shave and my observations is I was extra careful with my blade angle and approach through 3 passes. No weepers or irritation and the 3-pass + touch up yielded a very close problem-free shave. For post-shave I used a little Proraso "blue" ASB. Very nice face feel but the fragrance is "blah".
I'm enjoying all these products and can't help channeling my inner Italian barber during the shave. I need some Italian music in the bathroom!
Same set up but I am glad to be back in my Main Arena... Only change to the shave and my observations is I was extra careful with my blade angle and approach through 3 passes. No weepers or irritation and the 3-pass + touch up yielded a very close problem-free shave. For post-shave I used a little Proraso "blue" ASB. Very nice face feel but the fragrance is "blah".
I'm enjoying all these products and can't help channeling my inner Italian barber during the shave. I need some Italian music in the bathroom!
tankerjohn
A little poofier than I prefer
Steve, do you go for a shallow angle or steep angle with the Fatip?
- Thread starter
- #36
I call it a very shallow angle. While with most DE razors we use something like a 30 degree angle, the FaTip requires a shallow angle more like 20 degrees. Essentially I start with the FaTip's head touching my face flat with handle almost horizontal and then lower the handle until the blade just barely engages my face. I try to maintain that blade angle through the stroke. Other advice I've gathered from FaTip posts...
· For me, the key to the FaTip is ABSOLUTE ZERO PRESSURE!! Withthe NEW, Cadet, Mariner and especially the R41 there is some degree of tactileand auditory feedback allowing you to gauge the shave as you go, as long as youare mindful. However I find the FaTip soincredibly smooth that it's difficult to gauge the correct angle from feedbackand easy to become cavalier and careless since it gives almost no warningbefore it bites. Success requires a little practice until the correct anglescome naturally, and ZERO PRESSURE!! to insure against mistakes. The payoff is an extremely close yet superblysmooth shave unmatched in its combination of aggression and comfort by anyother DE.
· No pressure, zero pressure. Light, careful touch. Respect it-Angle & Pressure.
· Have to get right balance and be diligent.
· May take 5-7 shaves to learnthe balance and technique.
· May be too much for everydayuse. May be better for heavier growthshaves.
· Have you tried alternating the original handle andconverting it into a Joris? Put on a heavier handle and the shave dynamicschange drastically. Here is a small list of possible handles: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...-here!!/page16. My Weber Bulldog wouldn’ttighten. I added a 5mm washer and thatworked perfectly.
· Safe to say there is a learning curve with the Fatip.Follow the earlier advice here and your shaves will get better. For me the sharpestblade works best. Just let the instrument and the blade do the work, a Featherblade just glides, mows and there is no tugging. Eventually the Fatip awesomeefficient shaves will become addictive. Good luck.
· I used mine every day for a week, and it just got better.
· Best/Favorite blades inthe FaTip: Astra SP, Personna “BlueLab”, Feather
· For me, the key to the FaTip is ABSOLUTE ZERO PRESSURE!! Withthe NEW, Cadet, Mariner and especially the R41 there is some degree of tactileand auditory feedback allowing you to gauge the shave as you go, as long as youare mindful. However I find the FaTip soincredibly smooth that it's difficult to gauge the correct angle from feedbackand easy to become cavalier and careless since it gives almost no warningbefore it bites. Success requires a little practice until the correct anglescome naturally, and ZERO PRESSURE!! to insure against mistakes. The payoff is an extremely close yet superblysmooth shave unmatched in its combination of aggression and comfort by anyother DE.
· No pressure, zero pressure. Light, careful touch. Respect it-Angle & Pressure.
· Have to get right balance and be diligent.
· May take 5-7 shaves to learnthe balance and technique.
· May be too much for everydayuse. May be better for heavier growthshaves.
· Have you tried alternating the original handle andconverting it into a Joris? Put on a heavier handle and the shave dynamicschange drastically. Here is a small list of possible handles: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...-here!!/page16. My Weber Bulldog wouldn’ttighten. I added a 5mm washer and thatworked perfectly.
· Safe to say there is a learning curve with the Fatip.Follow the earlier advice here and your shaves will get better. For me the sharpestblade works best. Just let the instrument and the blade do the work, a Featherblade just glides, mows and there is no tugging. Eventually the Fatip awesomeefficient shaves will become addictive. Good luck.
· I used mine every day for a week, and it just got better.
· Best/Favorite blades inthe FaTip: Astra SP, Personna “BlueLab”, Feather
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This is the key.
Adding the invisible hand and short strokes WTG before and even steeper angle for the next passes helps better.
Otherwise the geometry of the razor will eat you.
I had today probably the best shave so far with this setting.
Blades are going to have the best comfort so far: probably they are going to be not close as the first day but they are way more comfortable. Still the skin is free of stubborns!
Tried to carefully change the shaving angle with Fatip but no way: I think that the blade exposure can give wide choice of attack. On paper. In reality a little bit less.
No weeps or cuts since I have an invisible me hand. Just some little burn under the nose in the attempt to reach those places.
Omega brush and Cella seems they were born to be loved each other. As always a great pleasure and a full rich experience. No other words.
Wonderful shave today!
Blades are going to have the best comfort so far: probably they are going to be not close as the first day but they are way more comfortable. Still the skin is free of stubborns!
Tried to carefully change the shaving angle with Fatip but no way: I think that the blade exposure can give wide choice of attack. On paper. In reality a little bit less.
No weeps or cuts since I have an invisible me hand. Just some little burn under the nose in the attempt to reach those places.
Omega brush and Cella seems they were born to be loved each other. As always a great pleasure and a full rich experience. No other words.
Wonderful shave today!
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- Thread starter
- #39
Buongiorno Amici! Today is my Italian Shave-Off Shave #3. Same set up except my post shave today is Floid Suave (Spanish). I focused on a better load & lather with the Cella... great results, enough goodness for a 3-pass shave. The Bolzano blade has smoothed out and I had zero weepers, nicks, or irritation today. A very nice BBS and followed with a good splash of Floid Suave! Nice!
I just ordered a Fa Tip (Piccolo) from Maggard I guess that when it arrives I must join you fine gentlemen. I already have all the other Italian stuff (except for the aftershave) though I am a little afraid of this razor!
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