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Do I need a Fat Boy?

Yep, for me it even edges out my beloved Gibbs Adjustables.
Ok I'll chip in. I also prefer the 84 to the Fatboy and Slim , but will take the Apollos over all of them. Like the Fatboy I think the Gibbs' cool factor heavily plays in to its desirability (and I have four of them). I disagree that there is a lot of 195 bashing, few would say it's not a nice razor , it's just that too many folks try to convince others they need one and that's just silly.

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Ok, for me the Fatboy is better than either the slim or the black beauty.
If you like the Red tip you are almost certain to like the Fatboy, as it is essentially just a better looking and adjustable version of it.

You do need a Fatboy, but you can't have mine. It is not for sale.
 
I don't 'need' a Valet Auto Strop, but l sure do want one. Fat boys are a groovy razors, but kinda $$$ "Champagne wishes & caviar dreams" pricey for a new wet shaver to jump into blindly. + there is the possibility of buying a broken or a misnamed one ònline shopping. Another vote for the Gillette 'red tip' for a more affordable awesome alternative to the 195 Fatboy.
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
i have a 1960 F4 fatboy. It's a great shaver. Except for under my big nose.
I have a 1962 H1 slim. It's a great shaver. Except for under my big nose.

I've been using the slim for 40+ years. I've been using the fatboy for 3 years since I acquired it. I like the fatboy much better than the slim. It just feels and balances better in my hand. They're both set at 7, and never change.

After my parents passed I found a NEW Type short comb buried in a toolbox. It's a great shaver. Even under my big nose.

I also found a 1977 X2 Black Handle superspeed and a 1979 Z3 Black Handle Super Adjustable in different toolboxes. I tried them and dislike them.

I bought a 1966 L1 Flare Tip Super Speed at a flea market. I tried it and dislike it.

I bought the King C. Gillette at Walgreens when I missed out on the Heritage-Inspired. It's a great shaver. But it just doesn't excite me. Then I was able to grab a Heritage -Inspired. It's a great shaver. But it's even more blasé than the KCG. I use these as travel razors.

My current rotation includes the fatboy, the slim, the NEW SC, and a RazoRock GameChanger.

So I've been rambling about my collection. Why? Cuz you don't know if you'll like a razor until you try it. I say if it interests you, go for it.

I suppose I should think about unloading some of mine that I'll never use again...
Perfectly stated friend.
 
I had the usual accumulation of Techs, Super Speeds, Old Types, New SC & LC, and the adjustables ... but no Fatboy. I fell for the hype that the Fatboy is the shiznitz and got one in superb condition stupidly cheap. It shaves OK, but it's not all that the fanbois say it is. It's not in my rotation, but it fills a slot in the adjustables line-up. The Slim works better than the Fatboy for me, and the vintage open combs all give better shaves for me.
 

ERS4

My exploding razor knows secrets
I prefer my modern DE, but must own at least one Gillette vintage TTO- It's full of aesthetics and technology from the previous era.

If you have a large enough garage, must be park one more classic car.
 
Oh no! Not this again. It is obvious you want to buy one. Just do it and that's it.
I think this is the answer. I believe I do want one. Nothing I own yet makes me feel as the Red Tip does. It’s not necessarily that it shaves better but the experience is so good. The other Super Speeds are very similar as well.

I think I said here before that a WRX STI will spank almost every early muscle car but the sounds and smells of a vintage car is what makes them so much fun.

Razor Emporium perfect? Or take a chance on an eBay/Etsy seller? Here we go.
 

Hannah's Dad

I Can See Better Than Bigfoot.
At one time (a few years ago), I had 20+ razors in my den, including a Fatboy. Every time my daughter (then age 4) opened the drawer of razors, she reached for ‘the Fat Man’ (as she called it). She loved twisting it, adjusting it, looking at it. I cannot deny that it holds some instinctive attraction, regardless of shave quality.
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
Well I have several excellent Super Speeds and Techs including a beautiful Red Tip. The Slim I just purchased here and is also excellent. I would use a FB but probably not as a daily.

You have Gillette TTO's and a Slim. Theres a single design element Gillette Slims and most Fatboys have that the other Gillette TTO's do not have. Look at the blade tray of your various TTO's and you'll see this or a variation of same.

IMG_2439.jpg


A basically flat, typical blade tray. On the Slim however, you'll see this.

Slim_Blade_Support_Points.jpg


What they do is clamp the blade against the inside of the doors with the extra 1/4 turn when you close the razor. What that does is make the blade more rigidly held which results in a smoother shave. The difference in my experience is dramatic.

I dont have a Fatboy and have never used one so I cant speak to gaps or the resulting change in blade exposure. It was common for Gillette to use the same razor heads on different handles although there are generational differences between the TTO heads.
 

BradWorld

Dances with Wolfs
It depends on why you want one. If you have a Slim, and like the way it shaves, and only care about the shave experience, then you do not need one. If you are a collector of vintage Gillette’s, and don’t have a Fat Boy, then you most certainly will need one in your collection. I have one. I don’t care for the shave. The Slim shaves as good or better. And I’m not old enough for it to be a birthday razor. But it’s an important part of the evolution of TTO adjustable razors. It makes the rotation every now and again, and it’s place in history makes it a cool razor to have.
 
You have Gillette TTO's and a Slim. Theres a single design element Gillette Slims and most Fatboys have that the other Gillette TTO's do not have. Look at the blade tray of your various TTO's and you'll see this or a variation of same.

View attachment 1138117

A basically flat, typical blade tray. On the Slim however, you'll see this.

View attachment 1138118

What they do is clamp the blade against the inside of the doors with the extra 1/4 turn when you close the razor. What that does is make the blade more rigidly held which results in a smoother shave. The difference in my experience is dramatic.

I dont have a Fatboy and have never used one so I cant speak to gaps or the resulting change in blade exposure. It was common for Gillette to use the same razor heads on different handles although there are generational differences between the TTO heads.
Thank you, that is very interesting. I do know about blade rigidity and that makes perfect sense. I actually have not used my Slim yet. I am still working through some other razors.

I used my 34C for a good while and a VDH too before getting my first Tech and heading down the vintage rabbit hole.

Now I have a dozen or more old shavers.
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
Thank you, that is very interesting. I do know about blade rigidity and that makes perfect sense. I actually have not used my Slim yet. I am still working through some other razors.

I used my 34C for a good while and a VDH too before getting my first Tech and heading down the vintage rabbit hole.

Now I have a dozen or more old shavers.

The Gillette Slim is an excellent razor. I find mine as smooth as my Fatip and far smoother than other Gillette TTO's I've used.

To reach the efficiency level I prefer I need to use mine on 7 and 9. My skin however, doesnt tolerate blade gap very well so I can have irritation. However, if my skin did tolerate blade gap better, a Slim may be the only DE I used.
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
I think this is the answer. I believe I do want one. Nothing I own yet makes me feel as the Red Tip does. It’s not necessarily that it shaves better but the experience is so good. The other Super Speeds are very similar as well.

I think I said here before that a WRX STI will spank almost every early muscle car but the sounds and smells of a vintage car is what makes them so much fun.

Razor Emporium perfect? Or take a chance on an eBay/Etsy seller? Here we go.
Patience. Try to find a user grade first. It might just scratch the itch sufficiently enough that you won't need to visit no "Emporium" my friend. Save yer coin for more NEW LC' s Baby!
 
Has anyone ever dealt with Richard’s Razors?

He has some beautiful Rhodium, Nickel and Platinum FBs.

Not sure what practical difference there is between Rhodium and Platinum.
 
My two cents... buy one on an auction site or the BST here and see if you like it (if you are going to shave with one) then if you like spend the bigger money on a re-plated one and resell the other for what you paid.
 
I going to sell all my Gillette adjustables (around 20). Yes, they are all cool but other things in live are also cool and more worth to spend money for. I don't think that Gillette adjustables really offer better shave quality than 3 piece razors like Gillette NEWs. So why handle with an unncessary complex razor? Just my personal opinion.
 
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