Gillette Big Fellow

This thing is big, hence the name. Due to it's large size, it finds the correct shaving angle for you. You can't claim that this razor is top-heavy in any way. Finding the right balance is a breeze. One thing I noticed when holding the handle is that though the knurling is very deep it does have a slicker feel. I wonder if it's due to the silver plating. However, a little pinch from the Alum bar allowed me to have a secure grip. My previous shave was with a complete opposite (1940 Gillette Milady) and switching to this was like switching from a Porshe to a Mac truck. I loaded it with an Astra SP (my go-to OC blade) and loaded up some lather with an Omega Mighty Midget (very nice scrubby mixed boar/badger) and VDH luxury soap. I went for 3 passes today. My experience with my Tuckaway and Criterion New Deluxe has taught me that I don't need to have a multiple pass Mantic59 style shave with these guys. I decided to go with a XTG, ATG, and blade buff ATG pass. The plan worked! There was no irritation (except for a tiny weeper from a tiny zit on my neck). Starting with a XTG pass was not a problem. I don't have quill like beard growth but the Big Fellow plows it down like no one's business. Blade buffing was fun and I did not have any irritation whatsoever. For my post shave, I rubbed a block of Alum on my face to assess the damage........but no irritation, just an invigorating tingle. I closed with some vintage Avon Wild Country from a keg-style decanter and had a positive feeling about my day. The Big Boy's a keeper. This is a beautiful strong looking razor. They don't make them like they used to. No hand is to big for this Fellow and it would have its place in any collection. The New Improved and NEW style razors (long comb) have a rather nice combination of aggressivness and smoothness unparallelled to no other OC's that I've tried.

If you are interested in contributing to this discussion, this link with provide the appropriate post for give and take:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=115419

Since first acquiring my Big Fellow with New-style head about 18 months previously, I have striven to appreciate its unique characteristics, primarily being it’s humongous size and weight comparable to any other large scale production shavers from Gillette, Schick or any other company, and secondarily being one of the most aggressive shavers I have ever experienced short of a non-safety, straight edged razor. I have shaved with it under various conditions with a heavy emphasis on soaps and creams I already appreciated including Tabac and Mitchells Wool Fat Soaps and creams from Proraso, Wars, Kiss My Face, La Toja Hydrotermal, and Crabtree and Evelyn. As incredible as it may seem most of these products lacked the cushion required by such an aggressive shaver. To this day, if compelled to use my Big Fellow, I always use the La Toja and work a little more diligently to create a lather with maximum cushion and glide. In fact, just this morning I tried making a ‘superlather’ for the first time ever using Tabac and La Toja… well the end result was actually the best… rather most gentle shave I’ve ever had using the Big Fellow.

To be very specific, my favorite aspect of the Big Fellow is that it FEELS awesome in my hand. I personally just LOVE its size and heft. Its three piece construction is simple, timeless, and elegant. The handle is very abrasive making it virtually impossible to drop… very handy with its weight, but so much so that it’s almost painful when gripped tightly for replacing the blade.

The shave itself inspires me to imagine symbols of monarchy. The stately and royal oak tree, a polar bear perhaps (especially when shaving with Proraso) roaming about as the undisputed king of his domain. In fact, the bear is a good representation of the quality of shave experienced. When properly respected, the shave is memorably fine, but a foolish man wanton of speed and pressure will learn a harsh lesson with the considerable potential for blood-shed. The beard comb is a very nice accompaniment to the heft of the razor. I do not often shave with the open comb style razors, but this is a feature that I occasionally seek for the different shave “texture” especially with a nice thick lather from a fine shave cream. I think my final opinion is that despite my deliberate and careful shaving trials, the Big Fellow is really just too much shaver for me. I find myself occasionally gazing at its case. Longingly but respectfully, I WANT to shave with it, but I know that my shave will end better… well… SAFER at least, if I choose any one of the other shave-tools at my disposal.

Like the rarity of a polar bear sighting, the Gillette Big Fellow shaver is rarely for sale and often at a considerable price. Made with both the Old and New style head construction, shavers favoring one style over the other can be accommodated equally. Mine in particular comes in a stately metal case with a royal, purple felt interior. I know that a wooden case is also available and highly collectible. Some other methods of experimentation that could be done include trialing with a larger collection of razor blades. I myself highly favor the red Personna blades and that’s all I’ve had available to me for quite awhile now. In addition, I have soft-water in my home and not being a good candidate for travel due to its size and replacement difficulty, I have never attempted a shave with my Big Fellow using hard-water. Although this might seem inconsequential, there are various creams that I have found work very well with hard water and this combination might well result in a different shave experience… for better or for worse. The one cream I would especially like to try with hard water and my Big Fellow would be Wars shaving cream from Poland. It's also a great candidate for a travel cream due to the small size of it's compact tube.

In the end, I urge caution to anyone new to the wet-shaving arts. This one can be a brute if you haven’t honed your skills. But if you’re up to the task and lady luck shines down upon you making a Big Fellow available… take her for a spin. It will be a memorable shave to be sure.