Everything about my first impression of the Fatip Grande Safety Razor should have left me disappointed by the arrival of my latest razor; the box, the weight, the feel. But the opposite has happened. I’m excited to use it. Everything that I expected to not like about it seems attractive to me. It feels simple, perhaps the way things should be. I feel like it is a razor that my grandfather would have used, not only because it is relatively inexpensive with no frills (not even some tissue paper to hold the razor in place while in the box – just the razor in the box), but because it accomplished what it was intended to do.

If you have read some of my other posts you will know that I am a sucker for package – sexy packaging. So when I pulled the Fatip Grande out of my shipment box I was oddly surprised to find a box that I can only classify as classic. If I didn’t know better I would say that it was produced the 70s or 80s, maybe earlier (maybe it was). Normally I would not be impressed by such lack of attention to detail, probably making me a puppet of corporate commercialism, but the box reminded me of my grand-father and of simpler times when the product and not the package determined the quality of an item.

First Look

Outside of the box the first thing I noticed was how light the razor felt. The handle is hollow, I would imagine many are, but outside of the hole on the bottom of the handle confirming that it is indeed hollow, you can sense it while holding it. My initial reaction was that it felt cheap; after holding it a few moments and getting a better feel I’m not sure that I would say that it felt cheap, it’s different than what I am used to that is for sure but it shouldn’t necessarily be a knock against the razor. Of course we are more or less talking about an entry level razor and it should be assessed as such. Outside of the initial feel the razor looks great.

Assembly The Fatip Grande has a three piece design. The nub at the base of the handle provides a nice grip and the threads feel good. No complaints or concerns with the assembly.

The Handle

I touched on the handle above. It is light, hollow, but still feels good in your hand. Most of the weight is definitely in the head of the razor but shouldn’t be a big deal adapting to it. The handle is short (78 mm), just a bit longer than my Merkur 1904. This is the first short handle razor I have picked up in a while so should make for a nice change. The ribs on the handle feels good, a nice touch of detail, probably more aesthetic than necessary.

Cutting Head

The cutting head is an open comb design, only the second I have owned (gave the first one to my dad). I tend to stay on top of my shaving, so I’m not sure if I will fully benefit from an open comb design but curious nevertheless. I would maybe say that the construction of the head doesn’t match that of the handle – the head feels like better quality.

Final Thoughts

At this point it seems like the Fatip Grande will be a welcome addition to the razor shelf. We shall find out for sure in a couple weeks once I give it it’s proper evaluation.

The razor in the images in the Nickel version of the razor, it is also available in Gun Metal Black, Gold, Chrome.