In my ever-changing rotation of DE razors, my most recent addition is an open-comb model made by Fatip. The 'Fatip Piccolo' is an Italian-made 3-piece open-comb razor that is nickel-plated. They seem to always be in short supply from vendors and are or seem reasonably priced. The Fatip has been described as 'fairly aggressive' to 'downright ornery,'—and, like the slant-bar razors, is often, "...recommended for advanced or experienced shavers..." (despite the apparent number of newbies who can and do shave successfully with slant bars). I already have an open-comb razor—a vintage Gillette New, which is relatively mild. I was looking for an OC razor that was more on the aggressive side. Since I have had good luck shaving with slant bars, open combs, and the hyper-aggressive 2011 version of the Mühle R41, I wanted to give this Fatip a go. Plenty of blade exposure: It should arrive here in a day or so for the 'maiden voyage' shave. My results to come. I wish to hear your experiences with your Fatips—Piccolos or Grandes (same head, different handle).
I'll be watching this with interest, Kevin, since I've been considering the Piccolo as a more aggressive alternative to my Merkur 41c.
I've had two of them and let them both go in Den purges. IMO, they aren't bad shavers but aren't as smooth as some of my other razors.
Dale, your experiences are similar to what I've read from other past users—decent shave, sometimes outstanding shave, but temperamental, and often not the smoothest shave. In fact, they sound very much like some of the R41 reviews. But at a much lower cost of entry. No kidding. It rivals, or even exceeds some of the Mühles....
I think the newer R41 is a great shaver and it is not much more expensive than the Fatip. I picked mine up from Connaught in the UK. Not having to pay VAT aids greatly in getting the price down. The 2011 version was too much for me.
Is there a noticeable difference in the 2013, in your experience? I see a lot of conflicting reports from users of both—some say as you do, and others feel its still way too aggressive. I suppose much depends on the shav-ee, not the shaver. The Fatip I'm getting is 'previously-owned' (to use today's used car vernacular), so for only $20, it's worth investigating.
Kevin I have the FaTip Piccolo and also the FaTip Grande. The Grande is an aggressive razor but slightly below the aggressiveness of the R41 (2011). The FaTip Piccolo is the same head as the Grande but the skinny short Piccolo handle doesn't allow for proper control of the heavy head and turns the little Piccolo into a face eater. (IMHO) I put the FaTip Piccolo head on a Weber Wave handle and it became very controllable and provided a quality, albiet aggressive shave. (Very much the same as the Grande.) I believe having read your experiences with your R41 (2011) that you will like the FaTip Piccolo head if it is put on a heavier, fatter handle. However, when you do that, it's no longer a Piccolo....it's a FaTip on another handle as Piccolo in Italian means "little" in reference to the skinny handle (which you are no longer using when you change to the bigger handle.) I hope that you can make some sense out of what I just said. This is my FaTip Piccolo head (nickle plated) on a Weber Wave Handle. A great shaver IMHO!
Thanks for all the good info, Bruce! My plan was to use a larger handle on the Fatip head—(I'm awaiting the delivery of a Bulldog II handle). I prefer large-handled razors, so this is a no-brainer for me. But I hear what you are saying regarding 'proper control' and how skinnier, shorter handles can be problematic. Maybe it will become a Fatip Bestione Grande!
Yep! a FaTip/Bestione Grande for sure! The small handle was the problem I had with it. Once I went with the bigger handle (Not THAT big! lol) I really liked the performance and felt it had the proper balance. Sounds like the Bulldog II handle would be OK if the threads on the FaTip Piccolo head match the (I assume; Ikon Bulldog handle) My FaTip Piccolo head's threads would not fit my Ikon Bulldog (the older 80 mm) handle but, would fit the Weber handles. Let us know how it works out for you. There is a slight difference in the threads of the Grande head and the Piccolo head. The only razor head I found I could use with the Piccolo handle was a French Open Comb. I think the Piccolo head has European threads. Good luck. Pic of my Piccolo handle with a French Open Comb head. BTW, when I put the lighter weight French Open Comb head on the small Piccolo handle the balance was great and I now have a nice French/Italian razor combo. lol
Very nice Franco-Italiano alliance you have there, Bruce! And the matching brush is killer! Re: the new handle I'm waiting on—Yes, an Ikon Bulldog II — 85mm, 75 grams.
I have the Grande model in gunmetal finish. It is nicely made, same finish as Merkur or slightly better. Blade alignment on mine is spot on. Unlike Merkur/EJ/Muhle it is made of brass, not Zamak , so it will last even if the plating gets compromised. I bought it because it has the same head as Joris, minus the fancy Palladium finish, and I was curious to learn about what all the Joris fans were raving. It is not a mild razor but not overly aggressive. Good slick Lather is key with this razor as it is not forgiving. With a smooth blade like persona red it is actually rather nice. I mostly shave with SE razors so it does not get used that much. It depends on your beard and your shaving style. Some people love it, some hate it.
I have the Fatip,very nice looking and shaving DE Can not beat the R41 in aggressiveness but shaves smoother and better.
I like the FaTip, but I haven't used mine since I got my Tradere second-generation SB. I put the FaTip on a first-generation Tradere handle when I used it. It is very efficient. Mine has a tendency to load a blade crooked unless I'm very careful; so when I used it, I always made sure the blade exposure was the same from side-to-side. With a light touch and a shallow angle, it removed whiskers like a hot knife through butter. The blade exposure, at least for me, was only problematic in the moustache area, where is was more difficult to get the appropriate angle. It could bite there once in a while. I enjoyed using it when I had more than one day's growth, in particular, because it mowed down the stubble so efficiently. I haven't yet sold it, and I may use it again at some point, but for right now I am satisfied with my Tradere. The other razors look at me longingly, but I keep going back to the Tradere. But the FaTip is not a bad razor at all. I always thought it felt pretty smooth during the shave. I agree with others that the Piccolo handle just doesn't work, though.
Well, I received the Fatip Piccolo in yesterday's mail. First impressions: Small box; small little razor with a big head; it reminded me of those little gillette travel razors at first glance. The razor itself had a very nice weight in the hand, despite the diminutive handle. This is no doubt due to the solid head AND solid handle. I simply found the Piccolo handle too small in my hands to shave comfortably with it. Since I have not received my new Ikon Bulldog II handle yet (at the mercy of both the Canadian & US postal services), I opted to try the large 'Grande' handle that came with the Mühle. Not an ideal fit—final thread twist is loose, but secure enough for a test drive. Before and after the handle switch: I loaded it with a Personna Med blade. As anticipated, there is a similar amount of blade exposure, quite comparable to the R41. The longer comb 'teeth' of the Fatip provide some protection from the blade edge, as opposed to the shallower comb/bar of the R41. Shave test: I am always a bit overly cautious when trying a razor whose rep is one of "Careful or it'll bite you!" notoriety. Hot shower & good pre-shave prep, however, has given confidence to try pretty much ANY DE razor at this point. After tackling the R41, most other razors are perhaps more on the milder side. The Fatip felt real good on the face. Very audible shave—comparable to the noisy feedback one gets with the Mühle. No tugging nor snagging anywhere—just a clean, smooth shave. After one pass, my face felt VERY smooth—again, comparable to the closeness I've gotten with both the slants and the R41. Two more passes (XTG, ATG) left my face feeling refreshingly soft and smooth, without a hint of razor rash nor irritation. Followed up with a thorough ALUM block test, however, revealed some light tingling on the throat—a common sensitive spot for me—but nothing to be overly concerned with. Overall, using the Fatip was simply a rewarding shaving experience. A welcome addition to the line-up. I do look forward to trying it with a heavier Bulldog handle.
