Prep:this is a cold water shave all the way/DB Brush Scuttle with 2 icecubes and ice water/Savile Row 3824 soaking in scuttle/Cool shower/Proraso Green Tea & Oat PrePost cream (new formula) Speick shave stick face lathered One thing I found is that the FaTip Grande Chrome head didn't fit securely,however both versions of the nickel plated Grande & Piccolo fit just fine.I ended up using the Piccolo's head which had a new Astra SP in it. Left side face & head/ FaTip Piccolo head Tradere handle/Astra SP (1) Right side face & head:Joris 1912T/Astra SP (1) I did my usual 2 pass,WTG,ATG face and 1 pass ATG headshave. I started with the FaTip side first.What a difference a handle makes,the Piccolo felt well balanced,had better feedback than it's original handle,also it was way smoother than either the Piccolo or the Grandes.It even made a brand new Astra feel like a Gillette Black. So far so good near DFS on my first pass. Now for the right side of my face and neck with the Joris.The Joris was just as smooth as the FaTip side a lil better audible feedback but also a DFS on the first pass. Second pass FaTip side ATG,once again a smooth shave,good feedback.I usually have to do a touch up on one spot of my neck but with the FaTip/Tradere it was BBS.This side of my neck usually gets some blade buffing even with the Joris,didn't need it today. Second pass right side the Joris once again ATG,very smooth same great feedback,no trouble spots on this side of my face and neck,another BBS shave. To save a lil reading time I did the same for my head except ATG one pass.BBS both sides and same results,feedback,smoothness etc. Post shave: Cold Water Rinse/Ice Cube Rub/Monster Block Alum/Cold Water Rinse another icecube rub/Speick splash mixed with a pea sized amount of 444 As I applied the alum I did notice a slight stinging on the area of my face and head that was shaved with the FaTip.No Stinging at all with the Joris.It's about 2 hours since I've shaved and both sides of my face and head feel identical,both BBS and free of irritation or razor burn. Ok is the FaTip/Tradere the poor mans Joris? Yes but if you have a chrome plated head you may have problems with the Tradere fitting.The shave itself was so close I couldn't tell the difference, other than the feedback which is better in the Joris and the stinging with the alum on the FaTip side.I may just have to get a Tradere handle just to keep on the Piccolo or the nickel Grande, the shave was that much better. I should have posted this yesterday as it was my shave for Sunday,so no SOTD post.
They're available on eBay from a barbershop in the UK. So far thats the only place (Aside from used) I've been able to locate them.
i got mine today from shaving.ie first time to shave with an open comb.took me 30min(wife came in the bathroom to check if i'm ok), but i got a very very smooth bbs with only 2 small nicks
Ya,I got mine from that barbershop Maguire's, on ebay.There's 4 versions of the FaTip,2 Grande models one chrome and the other nickel,the goldtone Grande and the nickel plated Piccolo,which is actually the heaviest.The Piccolo has a solid handle the Grandes are hollow.I find the quality control on the chrome is not up to the quality control of the nickel versions.I don't have a goldtone model so I can't give a opinion on that one.
My Piccolo in Nickel fit on my iKon handle, my Grande on Chrome does not. I wanted a chrome model to match some of the other handles I use, but it does not fit on any other handle. Live and learn. The best price that I have found has been from Maguire's Barber Shop, plus their shipping is very fast, I received both orders I have done from them in 4 days.
I have a iKon OSS I may see if that handle works,the chrome should have fit on the Tradere,I even had SWMBO give it a try but no go.Anyways the nickel heads fit and the Tradere greatly improved the FaTip's performance.I'm sure the iKon handle does the same thing.
I have the Fatip Grande , nice razor , got mine for $29 from a seller in Germany. It seems a tad more aggressive than a long comb New but not so much as a short comb Old Type by comparison. Good razor for a coarse beard like mine. The handle and head are nicely balanced , razor has a middling weight. I've gotten some great shaves with it, not perfect ones though, few weepers. I don't see an issue with the handle as has been reported elsewhere, seems well matched to the head, its hollow but not particularly light weight. Overall very happy with the razor.
It's not the handle,it's the head that have some problems.The FaTips I have all fit their own handle,it's when using the FaTip head with another handle that could be a problem.The chrome should have fit the Tradere handle,but mine didn't.Both nickel plated heads the Grande and the Piccolo fit the Tradere handle.Azarius had the same problem with a iKon handle and a chrome head from a FaTip Grande.
I got'cha, its just to me the idea of needing or wanting a different handle other than the original. My own issue with that was when I was switching out handles/heads new razor did not feel balanced.
Actually this wasn't my own idea,a friend knew I had a Joris,a Tradere OC,and a few FaTips and wanted to know if the Tradere made a FaTip closer to a Joris.The FaTip heads are close if not the same head that's in a Joris.I found that the Tradere handle did indeed improve the Nickel Piccolo head and made it closer to a Joris,shavewise.It smoothed out the FaTip so much I forgot there was a Astra in there.Balance was good too,at least to me.
