BIG BOY vs. NEW DELUXE......no contest!

[SixCats!]

Hi all,

I just now finished shaving using my vintage Gillette BIG BOY. Unless someone here with more knowledge tells me otherwise, the BIG BOY appears to be nothing more than just a larger/heavier/longer handle version of the Gillette NEW DELUXE. I'm not sure which Razor came first. At any rate, some of you may recall my recent thread about my having "issues" shaving with my NEW DELUXE. It seems every time I use the NEW DELUXE, I somehow manage to "nick" myself at least three time per shave! So, tonight in a test, I decided to re-visit my BIG BOY. I'm here to tell you that tonight, I had a FANTASTIC shave using the BIG BOY and I received not one "nick". I dunno, it's odd, perhaps the longer handle & weight of the BIG BOY makes it a MUCH better shaver (at least on "my" Face). Tonight's shave was super smooth and I just let the weight of the Razor do most of the work. I dear say that the BIG BOY is nearly as good a shaver as my BARBASOL Floating Head Razor. Oooh, as an experiment, I tried to see if the CAP on the NEW DELUXE would be interchangeable with the CAP on the BIG BOY. The CAPS indeed are interchangeable! I will later have to dig out my lil' scale to compare the weights of these two Razors. The BIG BOY just feels heavier however, I suspect the weight difference can't really be all that different therefore, I'm thinking the "MAGIC" is due to the BIG BOY'S longer handle. At any rate, my BIG BOY will surely be one of my TOP SHELF Razors!

SixCats!

 

[jmudrick]

I have no idea why your New Deluxe gives you trouble, it has way less exposure and weight than the Barbasol Floating Head which you apparently find manageable. And yeah the head should be the same as your BBND.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[SixCats!]

Hi @jmudrick,

Oooh yes indeed, I am finding BOTH the Barbasol & Big Boy (both which have nice long handles & heavier) very manageable/easy to shave. I have to take this as a "clue".

SixCats!

 

[Bobbers]

I just took my 1920 Big Fellow for a spin. I remember why I am not a fan of Gillette old type open comb razors. Well to each his own. Time to find a new own for this razor.

 

[SixCats!]

Hi all,

Interesting......the BIG BOY weights only 0.3 oz. more than the NEW DELUXE.

NEW DELUXE 2.70 OZ.
BIG BOY 3.00 OZ.

SixCats!

 

[dmshaver]

Interesting read, thank you! Razors, as is everything else shaving related, are YMMV.

 

[dangerousrazor]

What makes Big Boy more desirable than New Deluxe is scarcity. But to me New Deluxe looks more attractive in terms of design.

 

[ShavingPanda]

Hi all,

Interesting......the BIG BOY weights only 0.3 oz. more than the NEW DELUXE.

NEW DELUXE 2.70 OZ.
BIG BOY 3.00 OZ.

SixCats!

I wonder if the balance between the two is different. Perhaps one is more head heavy or handle heavy that suits your shaving style a bit more. The New Deluxe and Big Boy are great looking razors.

 

[MntnMan62]

Interesting. I have never shaved with a Big Boy but I have the New Deluxe as well as pretty much every open comb razor Gillette ever made and I find the New Deluxe to be the best of them all for me. I consistently get blood free, BBS and comfortable shaves from my New Deluxe. Admittedly I did stick an 85mm Ikon Bulldog handle on it which is much longer than the Tuckaway handle it originally came on. It turns out 85mm is the perfect length for me. I have one that is 90mm and find it to be too long and also have a 80mm and find it too short. But the 85mm is juuuuuuuuuuust right.

 

[Sgtfda]

The Big Boy gives a fantastic shave.

 

[eaglesgift]

Hi all,

Interesting......the BIG BOY weights only 0.3 oz. more than the NEW DELUXE.

NEW DELUXE 2.70 OZ.
BIG BOY 3.00 OZ.

SixCats!

It might not sound like much but percentage-wise, the Big Boy is just over 11% heavier, going by your figures.

 

[SixCats!]

Hi @dmshaver, Oooh, thank you Sir! Yes indeed, one's YMMV. I just can't figure out if it's the slight weight and handle difference that is making the BB such a fantastic Shave while the ND (for me) is a "Nicka-matic". I guess next up will be my "Red & Black SPECIAL NEW DELUXE" for testing. Hi @eaglesgift , ah! 11% heavier may very well be the reason the BB is a better shaver (for me). Thanks for that information.

SixCats!

 

[Dog Whiskerer]

...perhaps the longer handle & weight of the BIG BOY makes it a MUCH better shaver (at least on "my" Face).

Swap handles and see if the New Deluxe head shaves better with the Big Boy handle...and vice versa.

 

[dmshaver]

Try a different angle with the ND. If you’re riding the cap with your BB, try a steeper angle with the ND. Different razors may perform better with different angles. Just my .02 worth.

 

[emwolf]

Hi all,

I just now finished shaving using my vintage Gillette BIG BOY. Unless someone here with more knowledge tells me otherwise, the BIG BOY appears to be nothing more than just a larger/heavier/longer handle version of the Gillette NEW DELUXE. I'm not sure which Razor came first. At any rate, some of you may recall my recent thread about my having "issues" shaving with my NEW DELUXE. It seems every time I use the NEW DELUXE, I somehow manage to "nick" myself at least three time per shave! So, tonight in a test, I decided to re-visit my BIG BOY. I'm here to tell you that tonight, I had a FANTASTIC shave using the BIG BOY and I received not one "nick". I dunno, it's odd, perhaps the longer handle & weight of the BIG BOY makes it a MUCH better shaver (at least on "my" Face). Tonight's shave was super smooth and I just let the weight of the Razor do most of the work. I dear say that the BIG BOY is nearly as good a shaver as my BARBASOL Floating Head Razor. Oooh, as an experiment, I tried to see if the CAP on the NEW DELUXE would be interchangeable with the CAP on the BIG BOY. The CAPS indeed are interchangeable! I will later have to dig out my lil' scale to compare the weights of these two Razors. The BIG BOY just feels heavier however, I suspect the weight difference can't really be all that different therefore, I'm thinking the "MAGIC" is due to the BIG BOY'S longer handle. At any rate, my BIG BOY will surely be one of my TOP SHELF Razors!

SixCats!

I like heavier razors with longer handles myself, I find them easier to maneuver. To each his own.

 

[SixCats!]

Hi @Dog Whiskerer,

Dog, the handles on both of the Razors in question have non removable handles. Only the CAPS could be exchanged. Upon close inspection, I did notice that a couple of Teeth on the ND has very slightly bent Teeth. I don't THINK it would make any difference in the shave but, maybe it does effect the quality of shave.

@emwolf, Yes indeed, I VERY much tend to like heavier Razors with longer handles of which I own two, the BIG BOY and my AWESOME "BARBASOL Floating Head" Razor.

@dmshaver, I will at some point try different Blades to see if it makes a difference.

@Dragonsbeard, Man, are those your Razors ? Beautiful! I'm not sure why there is a difference in the shave between the two Razors, I only know it's like night and day.

SixCats!

 

[dmshaver]

I’m not talking about using different blades. If the blade in the razor is one straight-line, & your face is the other straight line, you have an angle. Some razors you use a shallow angle, other razors give a great shave using a steep angle. Blades do matter in a razor, but angle is entirely different.

 

[MntnMan62]

Hi @Dog Whiskerer,

Dog, the handles on both of the Razors in question have non removable handles. Only the CAPS could be exchanged. Upon close inspection, I did notice that a couple of Teeth on the ND has very slightly bent Teeth. I don't THINK it would make any difference in the shave but, maybe it does effect the quality of shave.

@emwolf, Yes indeed, I VERY much tend to like heavier Razors with longer handles of which I own two, the BIG BOY and my AWESOME "BARBASOL Floating Head" Razor.

@dmshaver, I will at some point try different Blades to see if it makes a difference.

@Dragonsbeard, Man, are those your Razors ? Beautiful! I'm not sure why there is a difference in the shave between the two Razors, I only know it's like night and day.

SixCats!

Slightly bent teeth won't have any impact on the quality of the shave. If the difference in weight and length of the handles is significant, that could impact your technique in using the different razors. The heavier and longer handles may be better suited to your technique.