Ficcare - thinking about trying them again

[kimberlily]

I've only ever owned one Ficcare. It was a large Black Pearl border maximas. It never did hold my hair well. Not even when it hit waist. It pulled and no matter what angle I put it on, it just didn't feel right in my hair.

So I sold it to another member who saw my post in my journal saying that if I did decide to sell it, she was interested. She had the same problem with it. I did some hunting, and read that some of the border maximas clips aren't as good as others.

Here comes the problem. I want to try Ficcare again. And of course, the colours I'm drawn to are all border clips. Unless of course, I want a Ficarissimo, but I prefer the shape of the maximas.

Can anyone who has one of the clips from the fall collection share their experience? I know that if I got one and it didn't work out for me I could post it on the swap board and it would be gone in an instant, but I don't want to set myself up for disappointment ;)

[Curlsgirl]

Kimberlily, just wanted to say that I have 3 Ficcares all Maximas. I can rarely get them to hold where they don't pull. Even when I do it doesn't usually last. I think the only way you will know is to try one. I love mine and keep hoping I'll find a way I can wear them more comfortably.

[willowcandra]

For me it was a case of finding the right size and hair styles and plenty of practice.

[prosperina]

My emerald border (large) works very well and is very comfortable. The only thing is I have to be careful pulling it out of my hair since the end that has the screw that holds the clamp/spring is a little rough. It also came with minor imperfections on the sterling silver, which I thought was odd. They don't show though.

Essentially the only thing I use it for is to clip straight across a cinnabun. I can do one or two other twisted styles, but that's it. Of course that's due to the length/thickness of my hair. It works beautifully now, but I expect it to still work when I have more hair.

When you heard some maximas were better than others, was that according to their grouping on the website (like border one, two or primavera etc) or is it random luck of the draw?

[frizzinator]

Just like all my other toys, I have a 50% success rate that a ficcare will be secure and comfortable. Since the problem is immediately obvious after insertion, I will try another toy and eventually something will work. Owning several ficcares in a couple of different sizes also helps, not only because of different sized buns, but also because the same bun will vary in size.... I don't know why.

I bought one of the silver plated border ficcares, and after wearing it once, without dropping or any damage-producing action, the silver plating is chipping off around the hinge. Because of this issue, I prefer maximas that are not enameled, such as the primavera finish.

I bought a ficcarissimo in violet and it's perfect. It doesn't seem to be silver plated. The silver plating on the maximas is beautiful, but apparently delicate.

[eadwine]

I have two, emerald and jeans. Both are medium maximas.

I always put them in at a slight angle, never had a problem with pulling though.

[akurah]

When I get the ficcare in correctly, I have no pulling. Emphasis on correctly, mind. Sometimes I have to redo it a few times.

The only style I can consistantly wear a Maximas without discomfort or having to redo it too many times is a french twist. I can hold it with either a medium or a large ficcare (depending on what part of the twist I clamp over), but the large ficcare is significantly more secure and comfortable than the medium with a french twist. Cinnabuns fall out. Figure-8s are secure, but I usually have problems with pulling. Peacock twists are only secure if I use the medium--the large pulls.

Since you're local, if you want, at whenever next meet we both go to I can bring both my large and medium ficcares, and you can play with them.

[kissedbyfyre]

I just recently bought my first large Maxima and it holds fine. Granted, it took me about a day of constant playing to get the hang of it, but after several tries I can get various buns to hold without any pulling. As of right now it's the only hair toy I can get to hold without pain.

I seem to have the best of luck with cinnabuns. Loose buns work as well but those take about 3 tries. I've noticed I need to position the ficcare right smack in the middle of the bun or it will pull.

[kimberlily]

When you heard some maximas were better than others, was that according to their grouping on the website (like border one, two or primavera etc) or is it random luck of the draw?
Honestly, I can't recall! It was last year sometime. I read something about some of the border max clips were not balanced very well and that it could cause pulling.


I bought one of the silver plated border ficcares, and after wearing it once, without dropping or any damage-producing action, the silver plating is chipping off around the hinge. Because of this issue, I prefer maximas that are not enameled, such as the primavera finish.

I bought a ficcarissimo in violet and it's perfect. It doesn't seem to be silver plated. The silver plating on the maximas is beautiful, but apparently delicate.Maybe I ought to try a ficcarissimo instead then. I'm hard on my toys even though I don't mean to be.

When I get the ficcare in correctly, I have no pulling. Emphasis on correctly, mind. Sometimes I have to redo it a few times.

The only style I can consistantly wear a Maximas without discomfort or having to redo it too many times is a french twist. I can hold it with either a medium or a large ficcare (depending on what part of the twist I clamp over), but the large ficcare is significantly more secure and comfortable than the medium with a french twist. Cinnabuns fall out. Figure-8s are secure, but I usually have problems with pulling. Peacock twists are only secure if I use the medium--the large pulls.

Since you're local, if you want, at whenever next meet we both go to I can bring both my large and medium ficcares, and you can play with them.

Thanks for the offer to try your clips, akurah :) I'm actually going to be near Nordstrom's soon, so maybe I'll play with them there again. I had my black pearl for about a year before it went off to a new home, so I had plenty of opportunity to play with it.

The clip I had pulled no matter how I wore my hair.

[getoffmyskittle]

I have a large honey marble Maximas with a tiny gold edge (apparently some of the honey marbles have this and some don't). I have found that it pulls horribly unless I get a LOT of scalp hair - by a lot, I mean pretty much as much as the clip will hold. But when I do that, it's fabulous and wonderful.

[sibylla]

I got my burgondy with gold -ficcare yesterday. I had to pay an extra 20$ and it was not worth that much. It´s OK looking and it holds my hair well but it was not worth that much money I´m sad to say.

[seabear]

I second the suggestion to try a different size. I have to style my hair in such a way that the hair mass is quite firm, and the end of the clip is open a bit when it's been inserted and I let the clip close.. in other words, there has be enough hair in the clip for it to be quite snug. Any slack or looseness, and it pulls. For my BS length, layered hair, smalls are best, but I can use a medium on certain styles and at certain angles, as long as the hair mass is full and firm.

Are you at all attracted to the classic beak style? I find that one much more versatile.

[bellawave]

I agree with seabear about slackness causing pulling. I wear a medium border maximas for half-ups and a large for a bun, and it's always snug and open at the non-hinge end, with no pulling. If there's not enough hair that the end is slightly open, it pulls from the gravity on the clip.

My biggest problem is when I take the clip out- there's always a strand or two caught in the hinge, ouch!

[anna1850]

My biggest problem is when I take the clip out- there's always a strand or two caught in the hinge, ouch!

Have you tried pushing down on the top of the Ficcare? I don't know why it works but it always releases any hairs that are trapped in the hinge for me.

Although, I occaisionally have a problem that the teeth on my silver primavera are very slightly seperated from the base so hairs can get trapped there (only about once a month though normally and I wear it about 50% of the time). I ought to solder it when I can be bothered.

[eadwine]

Doesn't ficcare give a lifetime warranty? They should fix that then, IMHO :)

[bellawave]

Have you tried pushing down on the top of the Ficcare? I don't know why it works but it always releases any hairs that are trapped in the hinge for me.



I always pinch the hinge end open so the clip opens wide, to remove it. Maybe I'm pinching too much!

[anna1850]

I always pinch the hinge end open so the clip opens wide, to remove it. Maybe I'm pinching too much!

To clarify, that is how your supposed to remove it by squeezing the hinge, but if you're taking it out and you can see that some hair is trapped just just squeeze it on the top (directly above where the teeth are) and the bottom of the clip and those hairs should come out and then you can try opening it and removing it again. Does that make sense? I'm not very good at explaining.

As for the warranty, I'd have to deal with shipping and customs again so I really can't be bothered. It very rarely happens anyway and if I do want to fix it, my father has a soldering iron so it wouldn't be difficult.

[ole gray mare]

I have two medium maximas, a medium ficcarrissimo and a large maximas. I thought I was ready for the large, but I wasn't...I'll grow into it though. But because it's too large, it pulls. I cannot wear it on clean hair (i.e. slippery hair) days for sure.

I love all my ficcares, but I think my favorite may be my ficcarrissimo. It is well balanced in terms of weight and I really do like the shape.

[bellawave]

anna1850- now I understand what you mean! I will try that, thanks. :)