Share your shave of the day!
Mon 02 Dec 2024 - Back to straights
- Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts - Papa Eld with Declaration Grooming B3 knot
- Razor: Thiers Issard 14 Médaille d’Or 1921 Exposition d’Algier Acier Spécial (7/8", extra hollow, square point, carbon steel)
- Lather: House of Mammoth – Shire
- Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps – Winter Break
- Fragrance: House of Mammoth – Shire 2
Oh what joy! I enjoyed going through a good part of my safety razor collection last month, but a nice morning shave with a smooth and sharp straight is something else.
This cosmetically challenged Thiers Issard 14 is a great shaver and Shire is a fantastic start into the day and the week. I combined it with Winter Break today to give a more wintery twist.
December 2, 2024
- Brush: Maggard 24mm SHD Bulb
- Razor: Fatip Classic Testina Gentile
- Blade: Polsilver Super Iridium (3)
- Lather: Barrister & Mann - Lyssa - Soap
- Post Shave: Barrister & Mann - Lyssa - Aftershave
- Post Shave: Goodfellow & Co. - Face Lotion - Kelp & Sea Mineral
- Fragrance: Brut - EdT
I really like the Fatip Gentile. I think it’d probably be a good “beginner” razor recommendation, and I might do a side-by-side comparison with a Merkur 34C soon. Both are on the mild side, but with good technique you get really nice close shaves.
Pros:
- Built like a tank with all brass construction
- Mild
- Under $40USD
Cons:
- Blade needs to be manually aligned, which isn’t for everyone
- New shavers might complain that the shave isn’t close enough, so a beginner might need to be reminded to focus on comfort, with closeness coming after developing good technique.
- Uses different threading than other razors, so compatibility with other razor heads/handles is limited.
Your #1 “Con” is troublesome. It wouldn’t be an issue for those of us accustomed to working around the idiosyncrasies of the things we use, but it is also a feature that someone can blame for a bad shave instead of poor technique. The magic of marketing has people believing that it’s the razor that gives them a good shave. Some of us enjoy working on technique, but I’m pretty sure we aren’t the mean of the normal distribution of wetshavers.