You're dating yourself my friend.
Why so much love for Fatip?
- Thread starter Franz_Biberkopf
- Start date
Approaching my expiration date, you mean. LOL
as a few people have already said about Fatips- , it's the quality of the shaves that puts the smile onto your face,.. plus comfort, closeness, end result....all excellent. The heft of the solid brass feels great in your hand and when you find the right blade combo it's like shaving bliss. (for me it's the Gillette Rubie) Any imperfections are usually extremely minor, and if something really seems off or bothers you about the finish you can usually return it for a replacement. I think the piccolo looks great, it's so simple, classy, and classic.
as for posts about "alignment issues", i, myself, am also guilty of posting a question and repeating the phrase "alignment issue" once on this board and now if i could go back again i wouldn't have even asked the question. I've come to realize that it's just the nature of this type of razor with aligning pins, sometimes you have to give it a look and a little nudge to center the blade, it's not a "problem" or an "issue".
as for posts about "alignment issues", i, myself, am also guilty of posting a question and repeating the phrase "alignment issue" once on this board and now if i could go back again i wouldn't have even asked the question. I've come to realize that it's just the nature of this type of razor with aligning pins, sometimes you have to give it a look and a little nudge to center the blade, it's not a "problem" or an "issue".
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The "alignment issue" to me is analogous to my sports car not having an autodimming rearview mirror. My wife's Lexus has one. I have to reach up and flick a switch. Takes 0.4 seconds and burns 3 calories. Saves me 10 seconds at the gym.
I think the Fatip is a fine razor. Perhaps it's not the finest razor, but it's a fantastic value. I was never that fond of my Merkur Long Handle razor, pot metal razors feel cheap and are easy to break. A Fatip costs $30 or less and will theoretically last you a lifetime; I have no alignment issues. Not only that, but it's a fine shaver. Efficient but smooth. It has manners, unlike the R41 or Ikon Tech.
I must be in the minority, but I’ve had several Zamak razors (EJ, Muhle and Merkur) and am yet to have one corrode, and have never looked at one and thought it looked cheap.
In fact, I can’t see through the chrome to detect the metal underneath at all.
I’m suspicious of my DE89 after it got knocked onto a tile floor a few times by my wife cleaning (the finish was damaged as a result). But despite expecting it to decompose at any moment, it’s still just fine.
I’m sure corrosion problems will hit my Zamak razors eventually, but right now, the worst corrosion problems I’ve seen have been on some old aluminium techs in my collection... they have horrible pitting and corrosion.
But I also haven’t bought cheap and nasty Zamak razors either. They’ve all held up just fine despite quite a bit of abuse.
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
Right with you on this. A Jagger is my primary razor, and while it's picked up a couple of blemishes along the way, it's still working fine. There's a couple of pinprick blisters on it, that I thought might be the start of a rapid decline, but there's been no further deterioration since I first spotted them. Appearance aside, I get great shaves with it, and if it disintigrated today, it wouldn't owe me a penny, and I'd definitely buy another.
Basically a Fatip is a Gillette Old Type, just as smooth but a bit more efficient. Given the love for early Gillete open comb razors its hardly surprising this love then transferred onto the Fatip, which is also brass and fairly lightweight.
But for me, the Fatip is all about the base plate. Change the top cap to a M5 threaded one, upgrade the handle and you get a whole different razor. Here's my latest Frankenrazor which is pretty marvellous with its Russian titanium handle and a top cap off a Yintal Bronze. The top cap holds the blade very rigid. We're starting to get more towards high end razors here.
But for me, the Fatip is all about the base plate. Change the top cap to a M5 threaded one, upgrade the handle and you get a whole different razor. Here's my latest Frankenrazor which is pretty marvellous with its Russian titanium handle and a top cap off a Yintal Bronze. The top cap holds the blade very rigid. We're starting to get more towards high end razors here.
It must be my cheerful, charitable nature.
I can see why people like it. I do not hate mine but, I don't rave about it either but, it does get used in my rotation.
Its a great performer, inexpensive to buy, slim profile is nice to help tackle tight areas etc. However, whilst I can get the blade aligned, it feels like a lot of mucking about compared to any other razor. I have seen posts where some members have bought several, to make a good one or pick the best one etc. Overall finish quality is below par considering other razors for similar money are better finished.
If one wants a medium yet efficient open comb razor, the fatip has to be tried.
Its a great performer, inexpensive to buy, slim profile is nice to help tackle tight areas etc. However, whilst I can get the blade aligned, it feels like a lot of mucking about compared to any other razor. I have seen posts where some members have bought several, to make a good one or pick the best one etc. Overall finish quality is below par considering other razors for similar money are better finished.
If one wants a medium yet efficient open comb razor, the fatip has to be tried.
DSK, please load your blade with the razor upside down. See if that reduces or eliminates the "mucking about" for you.
I did do this upon recommendation on my original review. The upside down technique does help and I can get the blade aligned in both but, my grande is worse (about 50% worse) than my special edition, so I just use the special edition one when I rotate onto the fatip.
There are several tangible reasons why I and many others love their Fatips:
1. The brass construction
2. The superb shaves it can provide if it suits your technique, face etc
3. The very agreeable pricing
Sometimes in life idiosyncrasies can even enhance the experience of something. For example, you might even liken the manual alignment of the blade vs stick it in and go with the tactile involvement of cueing up a vinyl lp vs sticking a cd in a slot and pressing play (though in my case I seem to have been lucky that the upside down loading method gets it right first time every time)
But, there also seem to be more intangible reasons to love it. In much the same way as one person might feel almost spiritual bliss at a certain piece of music that leaves another cold, or prefer the driving experience of a Ferrari to a Lamborghini regardless of which has the better performance etc, there is something indefinable about them that I guess you either get or you don't.
And if you don't get it, it doesn't make you wrong
1. The brass construction
2. The superb shaves it can provide if it suits your technique, face etc
3. The very agreeable pricing
Sometimes in life idiosyncrasies can even enhance the experience of something. For example, you might even liken the manual alignment of the blade vs stick it in and go with the tactile involvement of cueing up a vinyl lp vs sticking a cd in a slot and pressing play (though in my case I seem to have been lucky that the upside down loading method gets it right first time every time)
But, there also seem to be more intangible reasons to love it. In much the same way as one person might feel almost spiritual bliss at a certain piece of music that leaves another cold, or prefer the driving experience of a Ferrari to a Lamborghini regardless of which has the better performance etc, there is something indefinable about them that I guess you either get or you don't.
And if you don't get it, it doesn't make you wrong
