On a lark, I recently purchased the closed comb version of the Fatip Lo Storto slant razor. Since I’ve explored the why’s, wherefores, and performance aspects of slant razors earlier, this seemed like a jaunt through familiar territory again. We begin our look at the original slant with the Gentle Touch.
History
Figure 1: The original gentle slant shaver
First, a little history: The predecessor to the Fatip Corporation has been in business in Italy since 1950, originally headquartered in Milan.[1] The 1980s, production moved to Premana in the far north of Italy, and the Fatip Brand was born. Premana is well known for iron and steel working, as well as cutlery, cutting utensils, scissors, and razors.[2]
I had heard of this company before and ironically I won a Fatip razor during my very first Maggard Meetup in 2019. (I also first met Mantic59 in person there.) Slant razors have always had a soft spot in my heart, primarily due to the reduction in drag during the shave.[3] Thus when inspiration arose to acquire a Fatip Slant at an economical price of around $32 plus shipping, I sprang at the opportunity.
How It Shaves So Smoothly
Figure 2: The secret is in the safety bar
What makes the Gentile[4] shaver so gentle? The “secret sauce” here is the unique squared ridges or “teeth” on the safety bar combined with a moderate blade gap. I’ve seen a similar, if less-pronounced approach on the Ikon B1 slant razors, where the teeth are replaced with smaller pyramids forms on the safety bar. This feature on the Fatip prevents the skin from dropping down before contacting the blade, making for a comfortable shave experience.
Figure 3: Ikon does something similar
Blade gap isn’t specified on the official webpage, but I measure approximately 0.75mm [0.030″] or so with my trusty digital calipers, which leans towards the mild end of the spectrum. This adds up to a rather forgiving shave that is easy for the apprentice wetshaver to start with. The Lo Storto comes in the door weighing in at about 70g, and the balance leans towards the head assembly due in part to the unique hollow handle.
Further Details and Observations
Blade loading is a slight hassle. Blade alignment with the Gentile is fairly decent, especially for a formed brass razor, although I notice I must manually check the blade alignment by looking down straight edges the blade checking for evenness relative to the safety bar on both sides. Otherwise we occasionally get misalignment where one side of the razor head is so mild as to be almost ineffective, yet the other side is overly aggressive, producing tiny spots in its passing. As the construction is formed brass and not CNC machined stainless, this is to be expected. An extra verification step before beginning the shave won’t hurt us, and for this price point, this razor represents exceptional value in spite of this minor quirk.
Figure 4: Check yourself before you shave yourself…
Another minor annoyance is the uncovered blades tabs. The origin of this design dates back to the 1950’s, and razors from that era usually features uncovered tabs, which we likewise witness in some of the vintage Gillette twist-to-open [T.T.O.] adjustables. This slight hassle isn’t a complete dealbreaker, but we must take extra care to avoid scratches when shaving under the nose or around the ears.
Figure 5: The unique, lightweight 3-piece handle
One aspect which jumped out at me was the seemingly sharp ridges on the bottom of the handle. Straight from the factory it seems like the hobbing machine which cuts these grooves was tuned to ironically produce nearly razor sharp edges on the bottom knurling of the handle. This is almost uncomfortable to touch, and I feel some better edge breaking would be good order before the handles are sent over to the chrome plating bath. Thankfully, this does not greatly distract from the performance, and this minor quirk can be readily remedied by swapping in any different handle you might have laying about in your luxury shave den.
The Golden Twin
The other version of this razor I sampled is the Open Comb variety. The official name for this style is Rasoio Lo Storto Dorato Testina Originale, which we might my translate into English as “The original golden razor with the twisted head”.[5] For purposes of this review, this razor was lent to me be a fellow wetshaver on Discord. (Thank you, KerblimeySkal!)
Blade feel is roughly equivalent between both versions, although there is ever so slightly more blade feel with the open comb variety. This is surprising because comb razors are usually the watchword for the more aggressive shave. The open comb variety excels for those who shave infrequently and need to chop down that tough, stringy stubble; the ritual head shaver is similarly well-served with this variation. Both varieties leave little streaks of lather behind for subsequent touch-up passes, which is appreciated.
Figure 6: “Excuse me, I was going to shave with that!”
How Goes the Shave?
As the name implies, any shave with the Gentile is quite forgiving during your ritual of morning grooming. This has to be one of the easiest slants to work with and this makes for a moderately friendly razor for the beginning wet shaver.[6] Finding and keeping the proper angle during my shave is somewhat challenging due to the mildness of this razor head; the blade can easily drift in and out of contact, so you ought to check your stubble after every few passes. During the head shave I occasionally notice I must go back over the same area with a slightly different angle; This problem evaporates during a facial shave because of easier visibility.
Another factor to be aware of is shaving over bumps or skin tags poses a minor problem due to the lack of flexibility with blade. Due to both the short blade extension and the rigid torque imparted by the razor had when fully clamped, you will not find blade flexure here with this slant which you might find with, say, the Rockwell 6S razor. I occasionally notice a spot or two on the final pass, but I compensate for this with the slickest, most cushioning shave soap lather I can muster, while also using soap bases which maintain superior residual slickness.
Conclusions from Multiple Shaves:
In closing, I stand very impressed with the performance and decent quality of a razor at this price point. My past explorations of budget / “economy” razors in this price arena have been hit-or-miss experiences which have left me at times with a sense of moderate disappointment and/or skin irritation. I’ve tried everything from the cheap Baili butterfly razor to some offerings by Viking Blade; while they work well enough for those with rugged skin, I find the more modern (read: pricier) CNC-machined offerings have less blade flexure, greater comfort, and generate practically zero irritation. The Lo Storto also can fit into this same “very comfortable” category.
In spite of the minutiae outlined above, the shaves are at once exceptionally delightful and reasonably efficient. We are definitely dealing with a shaver on the more mild end of the spectrum, and the Fatip Slant stands is in good company with frequent users of a Gillette Tech or RazoRock Mamba. Using this razor also imparts a sense of nostalgia we might distantly sense when using other products from this era. Those of you dear readers with family members hailing from Italia can readily envision a grandfather or great grand uncle using this very razor prior to starting their workday in times gone by.
Pros:
- Sturdy brass construction.
- Efficient without being overly aggressive.
- Classic styling.
- Affordable price.
Cons:
- Blade alignment on the safety bar edition.
- Exposed tabs.
Final Verdict: A comfortable, mild shaver which matches efficiency with an enduring style. Good performance for both a novice or an experienced hand.
[Editor’s Note: You can find the Lo Storto at Maggard, Fendrihan, New England Shaving Co., Shave Nation, and other wet shaving retailers.]
- https://www.fatip.it/en/history/ ↑
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premana ↑
- https://sharpologist.com/the-big-slant-showdown/ ↑
- In Italiano this is pronounced “Gen-teel-lay” (i.e., the gentle one), but not gentile as we might commonly expect in English. ↑
- The razor lent to me for review is the “Fatip Il Piccolo Storto“, which is their regular razor head with a slightly smaller solid brass handle. ↑
- The shave obviously took place after I retrieved my trusty brush from my furry little assistant you see pictured above. ↑
My best slant