Do I need a Black Beauty?

[TonyTheRazorMan]

It is up to you to decide how much you are willing to pay.

Yes, but is anyone willing to pay $300 for a user grade one? Or even a mint unopened one?

I dont remember even seeing DEs in the stores in the 80s, but I wasnt particularly looking. Just needed my Atra refills.

 

[cyberdog]

I don't care if a BB is NOS still in the packaging, I'm not paying $300 for one! You can get a very good condition example to use for $20-$25. Lets face it, most of us are going to use the it, and not let it sit on a shelf and admire it, making it sort of pointless to pay all sorts of money because its NOS.

In response to another post, while the heads appear identical, the BB shaves different than the slim. I use my slim usually cranked wide open, or on at least setting 7, but usually on 9. The BB on 9 just feel and shaves a lot more aggressively than the slim. Out of all the Gillette adjustable models, the BB is the only one that gives a close enough shave for me on a middle setting. Don't know why, but they shave closer, and I've tried both the brass base plate and black/resin models. - My black resin actually shaved better than the brass model, and I ended up selling the brass/plated BB, keeping the NDC BB. (My BB has no date code, a few were made with a combination of the older blade tray and black resin base plate).

 

[ivan_101]

Yes, but is anyone willing to pay $300 for a user grade one? Or even a mint unopened one?

I dont remember even seeing DEs in the stores in the 80s, but I wasnt particularly looking. Just needed my Atra refills.

The one I bought last week Safety Razor Acquisition Thread. - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/safety-razor-acquisition-thread.365061/post-11210158 Unused, but someone dropped it (prior to shipping) and one of the guards got bent. Paid around $76 (incl. shipping from a neighbour country). I still think I paid too much for it, since I had to bend the guard back.

 

[ivan_101]

I don't care if a BB is NOS still in the packaging, I'm not paying $300 for one! You can get a very good condition example to use for $20-$25. Lets face it, most of us are going to use the it, and not let it sit on a shelf and admire it, making it sort of pointless to pay all sorts of money because its NOS.

In response to another post, while the heads appear identical, the BB shaves different than the slim. I use my slim usually cranked wide open, or on at least setting 7, but usually on 9. The BB on 9 just feel and shaves a lot more aggressively than the slim. Out of all the Gillette adjustable models, the BB is the only one that gives a close enough shave for me on a middle setting. Don't know why, but they shave closer, and I've tried both the brass base plate and black/resin models. - My black resin actually shaved better than the brass model, and I ended up selling the brass/plated BB, keeping the NDC BB. (My BB has no date code, a few were made with a combination of the older blade tray and black resin base plate).

That's because the 9 position on the Super Adjustables has wider gap compared to the Slim. You can see a comparison table here Adjustable Razor Blade Gaps – Gillette Adjustable Razors - https://gilletteadjustable.com/misc-2/adjustable-razor-blade-gaps/ As for the Gillette adjustables gaps I can tell you one thing. I currrently have 5 black beauties, and had two more in the past, which are not mine anymore. Quite often they are oveclocked or underclocked. That is someone messed with them pushing that small trigger in the hole above the adjustment ring. I have seen this most on the BB razors, and only once on a Slim. And I had different cases. So, the only way to be sure your BB is as it was in the factory is to measure the gaps at every setting with feeler gauge and compare to the table in the link. Unfortunately in some cases a razor can be underclocked or overclocked so that you can achieve the factory setting only if you disassemble the razor fully. Something I wouldn't dare. So one of my BBs now has a gap @5 that is actually like a factory setting of @7, but that's OK with me. When I received it, the 9 setting was like 16!!!

 

[Medivh]

I was very lucky when I bought mine a few months ago and I paid around 12$ and it came with some old shaving case and inside was also a sealed pack of vintage Nova Stainless blades.

 

[HDSledge]

Yes, because the nickname is cool if for no other reason.

 

[TonyTheRazorMan]

The one I bought last week Safety Razor Acquisition Thread. - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/safety-razor-acquisition-thread.365061/post-11210158 Unused, but someone dropped it (prior to shipping) and one of the guards got bent. Paid around $76 (incl. shipping from a neighbour country). I still think I paid too much for it, since I had to bend the guard back.

Bummer. But as long as it is ok I hope it was worth it.
I should have returned my fatboy but I rushed to try to fix it and scratched it. I am just going to be patient in finding a BB at a reasonable price.

 

[TonyTheRazorMan]

Yes, because the nickname is cool if for no other reason.

And it might win a race!

 

[preidy]

Of course not but.. I have all three of the adjustables. The Black Beauty too gives a great shave but (short handle) it's very head heavy.

 

[TonyTheRazorMan]

I lost out on getting one today by 50 cents.

There are still plenty listed every day, and I'm in no rush.

 

[Phil E2]

As I wrote on April 9, I had the same question. I set a price in my head if one came around and I bought an O2 BB last week. After just a few minutes with a soft toothbrush and Blue Dawn it looked fantastic. Handle looks close to new as well. First shaves this week with a Schick Super Chromium have been as close to BBS as possible with my neck. I have to say the handle threw me for a few minutes. It is so long that I didn't "have to" put my fingers in one spot to shave. I could move around which was weird. Decided that's what the handle was designed to do and am figuring out what works best.

Still NO, I didn't need the BB but I am glad to have it and be using it.

 

[Ivo4u2]

Well my slim has issues so not going to compare it to my metal base plate long handle bb.
But the bb is a nice and pretty shaver. However it is in the drawer since I use heavier razors more.

 

[Lord NSIC]

BB razors just look cool, and (for me) that's the best I can say about them--I have 3 109s and an 84 because I thought I needed them. BB 109 #1 had a bad case of drop handle and then broke/disintegrated at the crimp (a piece of 12 gauge wire helps it lock up and shave), the BB 109 #2 was very dirty and the top part of the handle turns inside the upper collar when you want to open it and has binding issues (it opens fine if you hold the head to open it past the last 1/4 turn) and the 84 has to be soaked in Dawn after a few shaves or it won't open unless you get a better grip w/towel (all three are O1 metal base plate models), and the BB 109 #3 has the nylon baseplate and functions properly, but it has no date code on the blade tray so no idea how old it is. From my experience, the BBs (as a model) did not age well and are very delicate versus my 4 slims (one of which my son abuses and it still functions and the last 1/4 turn is like butter), and four Fat Boys that were not pristine when I got them, but all cleaned up and function perfectly no matter how long it is between shaves. If you have a slim, you don't need a BB, and if you have a Fat Boy, you don't need either of the other two--I have large hands, so for me (I like the weight, and the stout, short handle and the larger head of the Fat Boy). I overpaid for the 84 on the 'bay, but I prefer the shorter handle (and they are harder to come by), but the rest I picked up for less than $15, (#2 was only $4 so I took a chance, and while usable, I'd reach for anything else first). Nickel plated BBs are sexy though... (A gold BB is like a gold plated Toyota badge on a Camry, mag wheels on a Yugo and a hood scoop and flames on a Tercel)