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Over the last 8 days I've been alternating between 2 reasonably priced (cheap!) razors: The Hill and Drew HDRC42 and the Fatip Il Grande Copper Original. The H&D is about £10 and the FT is just under £20. Although I used various other bits in the shaves I always made sure that both razors were used with the same equipment to get a good comparison.
The FT's packaging is simple and traditional looking. The H&D comes in a little travel case with a mirror!
The H&D is 90mm and 55g. The FT is 87mm and 68g. The FT is copper plated brass, with a hollow handle. The H&D is zinc alloy plated with chrome. The H&D's finish is better than the FT's, but the FT looks more "special" and feels more solid.
There is more blade exposed on the H&D and you feel that in the shave.
When it comes to the shaving, I started with Fatip blades. They are not good. Not at all. But, they seem notably worse in the FT. I then switched to Astra SP blades. These were much better in both razors, but more so in the FT.
I shaved with a variety soaps and aftershaves. I always used 2 passes with some tidying. The H&D feels quite aggressive but delivers only an averagely effective shave. There is lots of blade feel, which I usually like but didn't so much in this case. The FT's shave is not as consistent as the H&D's. With the right blade and good preparation it is smoother and more efficient. With the wrong blade it can be quite rough and cause irritation.
The HD has perfect blade alignment, the FT has the typical FT "adjustablilty" in how the blade sits. Its handle is slightly less grippy with soapy hands. It is also available as a closed comb.
Both razors fit together well.
Of the two, I prefer the FT for the looks, feel and the shave it delivers when it does well. The H&D feels cheap (which I guess it is), can deliver a nice shave and is reliable. It just doesn't feel that nice while you are shaving.
The FT's packaging is simple and traditional looking. The H&D comes in a little travel case with a mirror!
The H&D is 90mm and 55g. The FT is 87mm and 68g. The FT is copper plated brass, with a hollow handle. The H&D is zinc alloy plated with chrome. The H&D's finish is better than the FT's, but the FT looks more "special" and feels more solid.
There is more blade exposed on the H&D and you feel that in the shave.
When it comes to the shaving, I started with Fatip blades. They are not good. Not at all. But, they seem notably worse in the FT. I then switched to Astra SP blades. These were much better in both razors, but more so in the FT.
I shaved with a variety soaps and aftershaves. I always used 2 passes with some tidying. The H&D feels quite aggressive but delivers only an averagely effective shave. There is lots of blade feel, which I usually like but didn't so much in this case. The FT's shave is not as consistent as the H&D's. With the right blade and good preparation it is smoother and more efficient. With the wrong blade it can be quite rough and cause irritation.
The HD has perfect blade alignment, the FT has the typical FT "adjustablilty" in how the blade sits. Its handle is slightly less grippy with soapy hands. It is also available as a closed comb.
Both razors fit together well.
Of the two, I prefer the FT for the looks, feel and the shave it delivers when it does well. The H&D feels cheap (which I guess it is), can deliver a nice shave and is reliable. It just doesn't feel that nice while you are shaving.
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