My Dad passed away 7 years ago. He use to shave with a double edge but at that time, I wasn't yet "into" safety razor shaving. I' ve only been using a safety razor for a month now and last week was visiting with my Mom. I asked her if she still had Dad's shaving paraphernalia. Long story short, I now have my Dad's Gillette Fatboy razor! It needs a real good cleaning, but I think it will be usable. One question: I can't get the adjuster to budge. Is there a trick or do I need to use a wrench and some lube on it? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Dad's Fatboy found
- Thread starter TommyD
- Start date
Congrats on the great find. Family heirlooms are among the most treasured of shave gear, irregardless of make or model or condition.
First things first. Give it a good cleaning, and that might dissolve any soap-scum that's keeping the mechanism from moving.
Make sure the doors are NOT locked down before you attempt to adjust it. Don't force anything, and you shouldn't need to use anything but your fingers to open/close and adjust it.
I've had good luck freeing up sticky mechanisms by soaking them for 24 hours or longer in soapy water made with ant-bacterial dish soap. Lots of soap.
Sorry about your Dad passing away, that's a very special razor.
Sorry about your Dad passing away, that's a very special razor.
First - Scrubbing Bubbles.
Second - PB Blaster.
Third - patience. everything takes time.
Don't use force. You will only break something.
Sometimes the little clicker above the adjustment dial can be stuck, if soaking doesn't free it up take a paper clip or small screwdriver and press on the clicker tab while gently rocking the dial back and forth.
Petrified shaving cream can fill the barrel of a Fatboy and be hard as concrete.
Petrified shaving cream can fill the barrel of a Fatboy and be hard as concrete.
Congrats on a great family heirloom ! 
May you have many great shaves with it like your father
May you have many great shaves with it like your father
Dunk the Fatty into very hot (not boiling) water with fair quantity of dish washing soap mixed in.
Leave it for 24 hours. Try turning the adjuster dial next day. It should yield
If not reheat the soapwater with the razor till it reaches near boiling point.
Let the water cool down. Try and this time you will be bale to tame the Fatty.
Vijay
Leave it for 24 hours. Try turning the adjuster dial next day. It should yield
If not reheat the soapwater with the razor till it reaches near boiling point.
Let the water cool down. Try and this time you will be bale to tame the Fatty.
Vijay
Take a look a the second/third pics here, which endcap does yours have?
http://vintagesaws.com/fatboy/fatboy.html
If it's the second with the little holes you're luck and it's easy, just follow until you get the shaft/doors off, after that cleaning is easy. Removing the head and bottom plate, well thats another thing entirely if it's stuck in place.
DON'T grab the pliers and twist away, something will break. I usually spray WD-40 liberally in as many holes as I can find and that dissolves soap really well, but then you have the problem of removing the smell of the WD-40 , if you don't have an ultrasonic cleaner I don't recommend that.
Nice score BTW!!!
congrats on finding your pops razor! hope you get it in working order!
Get to a thread late and here's what you say.... Listen to the advice you've received. It's what I've done to get mine working.
Thanks for the link, Ghostknife, I'm always interested in how to take stuff apart.... Getting it back together correctly is always a plus too.
To the OP: Welcome! I hope you enjoy using your Dad's razor. It'll remind you of him every time you use it.
