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This Beautiful Thing

Parallax

Parallax

Just in today from Germany, a brand new Fatip Grande V1.
Was expecting the finish to be suspect but it looks nice. The cap appears to tighten down snug against the base plate. Can't imagine a blade moving but won't know for sure until it's loaded.
So far, very happy. Of course the proof is in the shaving.
Still at work. When I'm home, with a blade loaded I'll be able to confirm that it's the V1. Appears to be accurate from the photos I see online, but the blade exposure will provide solid confirmation (or refutation).
Fatip.jpg
 
tankerjohn

tankerjohn

A little poofier than I prefer
Lovely! I have a gold Fatip Grande as well. The plating on mine is perfect. I've read of guys having issues with the nickle plated razors, but the gold plating seems to be better for whatever reason. Good luck with the shaves. It will teach the true meaning of "no pressure".
 
Parallax

Parallax

Esox said:
You know what angle works the best for you and how to maintain that angle. A rigid devette may become your favorite. I think @rabidus made one from a Gillette NEW SC.
Click to expand...
Jaidmaster very generously sent me one he made from a vintage Gillette OC. Saving it for the weekend, when I'll have plenty of time to run it carefully. Will be interesting to see if it works for me.

Considered buying this crazy thing. Have held off so far.
 
Raven Koenes

Raven Koenes

My precious!
Congratulations on the gold plated Fatip Grande Mk1! I'm totally jealous of it. No matter how many Fatips I collect, and all the Fatip Mk1's I own, I will never have a gold plated Fatip. My wife would hit the roof. She would say something like, "What are you going to shave with that King Butt". I will take vicarious pleasure in the fact you obtained one. I did get away with buying the Fatip Piccolo Special Edition, but then only the baseplate is gold. I'm not pushing it any further. :001_tongu
 
Parallax

Parallax

Raven Koenes said:
Congratulations on the gold plated Fatip Grande Mk1! I'm totally jealous of it. No matter how many Fatips I collect, and all the Fatip Mk1's I own, I will never have a gold plated Fatip. My wife would hit the roof. She would say something like, "What are you going to shave with that King Butt". I will take vicarious pleasure in the fact you obtained one. I did get away with buying the Fatip Piccolo Special Edition, but then only the baseplate is gold. I'm not pushing it any further. :001_tongu
Click to expand...
My first and only Fatip. If I like it, there could be more. Another brother is selling me a bunch of razors that are too aggressive for him and I think it includes a Fatip V2. We'll see if I keep one, both or none. Haven't shaved yet because my morning appointment cancelled, so now I'm being lazy. Will jump in the shower soon and then post a write up later today. Have been writing razor reviews in a mistitled thread. Will post this one here.
 
Parallax

Parallax

Took the Fatip out for a turn today, together with the 2011 R41. Kept the Ikon Tech in reserve to bat cleanup, which seems to have become its function. Must say that there's a lot to like about the Fatip. For starters, just look at it!
20181031_114343.jpg

The thing's frickin' gorgeous. Considering the price point and the brass build, it's pretty amazing. No problems with finish on this little beauty and no problems with blade slippage -- the main bugaboos guys report with the Fatip. In fact, the cap gets as tight as any other razor as far as I can tell.

In terms of shave quality, I get why many men love it. This V1 head has huge blade exposure, offering a close shave, while at the same time offering comfort. There's some blade chatter but I like that. Hard to hear it in the shower but for those who shave at the sink, it will be obvious.

I'm a bit unusual in that I like a lot of blade feel. This razor came up a bit short for me in that regard but I think most guys would consider this a plus. Its comfort surpasses any of the other close razors I've tried so far, including the Fendrihan Mark-I which I consider a great value razor. In a way the two are similar but the Fendrihan comes up a bit short when I consider it for my rotation (not quite close enough or engaging, too comfortable), whereas the Fatip has other qualities that make it more interesting (such as its beauty but also the fact that it is more engaging than the Fendrihan, though not by a lot).

I was able to get a great shave with it. Required some touch up and polishing effort but at the end of the day it stood toe-to-toe with the 2011 R41 and then some. It's a bit lighter than is my preference though I could swap the handle. On the other hand, looks would take a big hit. Still, it's doable. Though the threads are not standard, a bit of Teflon tape would take care of that. Perhaps with the right handle.

The R41 has the extra feedback I like. Can really feel the blade running across the skin. Very close shave on the flats but has trouble getting into curves and recesses. At the end of the day, I like these razors about the same, albeit in different ways. There's a good chance both will be in my final rotation.

Having said that, there's a reason the Ikon Tech has been my reserve razor in every test. Although it would become monotonous to shave with just the Tech every day, I've become addicted to the incredibly close shave it offers combined with the incredible, gripping seat-of-the-pants feedback it offers. With the Tech, I don't have to think at all. It tells me how to hold the razor, what angle is best, how much pressure to apply (almost none). Thus, it bats cleanup -- which is exactly what it did today. After working the Fatip to get as good a shave as possible (which required not all that much effort and produced a very nice result) and the R41 on the other side (which required significantly more effort -- which I find odd given that the head dimensions of the R41 and the Fatip are similar), I brought in the Tech to mow down every remaining bit of stubble with ease.

I can see why many guys think the Tech is harsh. To me, it's about as close to perfect as anything in this world can be. With each new test, I come to appreciate it more and more because nothing can match it. Some come close in shave result but in terms of feedback and intuitive ease of use, nothing so far can hold its jock.

Now I've not yet tried the two razors pbrmhl considers his best and that he ranks ahead of the Tech. Those are the PAA DOC Evo in stainless and the Charcoal Goods Level 3 open comb. He considers the CGL3 best of the bunch.

When all is said and done (in other words, when I've had a turn with each), I may or may not agree. He and I have already discovered that I like long handles and he likes short ones. Everyone's preferences are different. It's hard to imagine anything better than the Tech (for me) but then I used that Futur for over six years due to a lack of information and imagination. Wouldn't want to make that mistake again. Nor would I want to forgo a rotation.

If things were to end where they are right now, I'd probably have a rotation of four as follows:

1. Ikon Tech
2. 2011 R41
3. Fatip Grande
4. MMOC (which might give way every now and again for the 1914 Ever-Ready)

But the Tech would be there every day to serve as my superstar closer, my Mariana Rivera if you will.

Would be super happy, however, if other razors matched or surpassed it, in which case perhaps one or more of the others might be demoted to bench service (or get placed on waivers) and the Tech might earn a day off from time to time.

Hey, thanks for reading. Happy shaving!
20181031_114357.jpg
 
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