Goodfella’s Smile continues to impress the wet shaving community with great razors at a reasonable cost. I recently got a chance to use their aluminum Styletto double edge razor. I’m generally not a fan of lightweight razors but using the Styletto has challenged my bias.
Goodfella’s Smile Styletto Razor Background
From the Goodfella’s Smile website:
The new era of Made in Italy safety razors.
Style and precision come together to create a razor that is gentle and deep, suitable for both daily and weekly shaving.
The aesthetic refinement of Styletto Aluminium with its classic and modern design at the same time, perfectly reflects the creativity and naturalness typical of Italian production.
The stylistic perfection, the finishes, the elegance of the grooves on the handle, which are then taken up by the grooves on the head, create a satisfying and disruptive overall vision, but above all, functional to the purpose.
Styletto aluminium is entirely developed, designed and produced in Italy and exclusively through the use of latest generation CNC machines. It has a Gap of 0.55 with a slightly positive exposure.
The Styletto handle features a Nylon washer pre-installed in the handle screw. This special feature locks the washer in place and prevents it from falling out. (If necessary the washer can be removed by lifting it out of its slot and then reinserted.)
Styletto Alluminio is available in 4 colours: Shadow Blue – Sting Red – Snake Green – Sandy Gold.
Specs
- Material: Anodised aluminium
- Handle length: 85mm
- Handle diameter: 13mm
- Total length of the razor: 9,3cm
- Total weight: 36gr
- Blade gap ~ 0.55mm (slightly positive exposure)
Made in accordance with EN-ISO 22768mK, in Italy
“Deep Shaving” Base Plate
This “Deep Shaving” optional base plate is designed for those who want something more from their Styletto (more on this later).
Replacing the original plate of the Styletto with this total Black version will provide the razor with a more aggressive blade gap and exposure. Note that the availability of this plate is very limited.
According to Goodfella’s Smile the “Deep Shaving” plate for Styletto aluminium is not designed for daily shaving but to be used every 4 or 5 days.
SPECIFICATIONS
Material: Aluminum
Plate weight: 6.46 grams
Gap:0.65 mm
Exposure: 2 hundredths of a millimetre
My Shaving Experience With Goodfella’s Smile Styletto Razor
Note: I received a Styletto razor from the good folks at Super Safety Razors (affiliate link), Goodfella’s Smile US distributor, at no cost. However the opinions expressed below are my own and have not been reviewed or approved by either Goodfella’s Smile or Super Safety Razors.
Presentation
The Goodfella’s Smile Styletto razor comes in a box that would be nice if you were gifting the razor to someone. Compared to my previous observations of the Goodfella’s Smile Valynor razor the Styletto itself looks almost “plain Jane.” That is not to say that I think the Styletto is an unattractive razor though! The handle styling is interesting and the available base plates gives it a splash of color.
Speaking of the handle, though the texturing may look a bit shallow and simply patterned I find the grip secure. I doubt shavers will have trouble with this razor slipping out of the hand.
The base plate has three curved holes for rinsing. Flow-through for me is excellent.
Fit and finish of my Styletto is very good. I’ve read some reviews that mentioned blade alignment can be a little fussy but I have not experienced any problems with it.
Performance
The Styletto has tons of audio feedback: this is a “loud” razor! Fans of ASMR might enjoy the razor for that reason only. Some reviewers have mentioned they think there is excessive blade chatter but I find this not the case for myself. Of course it could be due to variances with individual blade brands…YMMV.
I’m not usually a fan of lightweight razors–I prefer heavier razors for their heft and balance–though I have enjoyed the Henson (Medium) and the Battle Brothers MkII razors. Despite the light weight of the razor I find the Styletto “nimble” and quite well balanced. I do find I need to put a little bit of pressure on the razor for a consistent cut but it was easy for me to lock onto the correct angle and pressure. Speaking of angle some have mentioned that the hold angle razor is a little narrow but I find the opposite–I think the window is quite generous!
This is a relatively mild-feeling razor, though (despite what the loud audio feedback might hint at). I would give it about a three on a one-to-ten point scale. I like mild razors so this is a positive aspect for me. And despite the mild feeling I find the Styletto quite efficient, with “BBS” shave results easy for me to achieve.
Summing Up
I think the Goodfella’s Smile Styletto (geni.us links may be affiliate) is a very nice safety razor, at an good price point. Perhaps not ideal for those who prefer a more “aggressive” razor (unless you can score a “Deep Shaving” base plate), but I find it gives me a remarkably close-but-gentle shave with lots of feedback (both in feel and in sound). It has great build quality, comfortable to hold, nimble to shave with, and it looks good. The Italian shaving brands continue to impress me with their innovation while maintaining classic traditions.
