Fat Boy Thoughts

[cactusjack]

Today I had my first shave with a Fat Boy. The one that was kindly loaned to me and mentioned in this thread...http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/350885-A-BIG-thank-you

So I prepared myself and the Fat Boy. A Derby blade, a nice lather of D R Harris and I was ready to go. As i have never used an adjustable I set it low, 3 to be exact and began my shave. Slow and steady everything was going ok, I had to stop myself a couple of times to be reminded to let the razor do all the work. Once the first pass was done I took some time to examine the results. The stubble left on my face was quite longer and more noticeable than first passes with my Parker.
I guess thats due to the low setting I had the FB on. So I cranked it up to 5, lathered up and went for the second pass. once again it felt good but seemed to not be quite as close a shave. For the first time since starting wet shaving I did a third pass. This seemed to do the trick. I had a couple of small weepers but thats not unusual for me on the neck.

So first thoughts, Its a nice weight, and interesting learning curve for sure with the adjustments. I would give my first shave a 7 out of 10. I am still learning so much of it could be my technique.
Looking forward to shave number 2 tomorrow.

 

[seanusa]

Use something sharper like an Astra and bump it up to 7-9 and I think you will get much closer

 

[Oscroft]

Use something sharper like an Astra and bump it up to 7-9 and I think you will get much closer

Yeah, Astra SP works well in a Fatboy for me. I usually use settings of 7, 5, 3 for the three passes - I prefer to start aggressive and go milder with each pass.

 

[Lamboy]

I agree with the others. Sharper blades will make the whole deal work faster and smoother.

 

[LAM&P]

Daily I rotate a '54 flair and '58 Fatboy at 7 and both with Astra SP; I think you'll enjoy the shave and razor. Focus on technique and ease up on the pressure...Wallyworld sells Styptic pencils to help with the weepers; stops the bleeding without tissue all over your face (don't forget to rinse before leaving the house...)

 

[cactusjack]

Thanks for the advice guys. I have some Astras here in my sample pack. I will give one a try tomorrow. I also like the start on a 7 and work my way down idea too. Will reprt back on the results

 

[Nomad1600]

I use a Slim (fairly similar, slightly different head) with the Atra at 7. If you have a few really sharp blades (eg Feather, Med, SI) you can dial it down to a 3 or 5 and get a closer shave too.

 

[Mad Man]

Setting on 7 and using an Astra is a good idea.

Try the Super Iridiums too, they're sharp - but super smoooooooth!

 

[bryan1980]

I might be in the minority here, but I think the Fatboy is actually a milder shaver, all things being equal, than the Slim. I think it has to do with the head profile; the Fatboy seems to curve the blade a little more than the Slim does, which seems to result in a milder shave (for me, anyways).

 

[tomharr51]

I personally use a Feather blade in my Fatboy and set it on 5 or 6. I didn't get great results the first handful of shaves but all of a sudden I got the feel for this razor and I now get great shaves with it with little to no irritation. I do perform a three pass shave but I even do that with my most aggressive razors.

 

[kingfisher]

Love, love, love the Fatboy.

Never judge a razor by the first shave. Keep working with it, and soon enough you'll have that "A-ha!" moment that'll make you a convert for life.

 

[Taipan]

My experience is also that the Fat Boy is milder than the Black Beauty. Six on my FB equates to three on the BB. Both darn good razors, but the BB is now my go-to. Agree also with the comments on sharper blades. Lab Blues/Med Preps wold be my choice.

 

[Oscroft]

My experience is also that the Fat Boy is milder than the Black Beauty. Six on my FB equates to three on the BB.

Ooh, with a Fatboy and a Slim, I'd decided I didn't need a BB - and then you go and tell me it's more aggressive... and I like aggressive razors...

Hmm...

 

[cactusjack]

Well today I added an Astra blade into the mix. Same routine as yesterday, soap etc.

I put the FB on 7 and let it do all the work. First pass was a bit rugged, a little pulling but nothing unbearable.

Second pass across the grain on 5 also seemed ok, So I went for a third pass with the grain this time.

It was a nice shave on the cheeks and top lip but not so good on the neck with a little irritation that I havent had before at the base of the neck. Not sure what thats about.

Two days in I am fairly happy with the performance but i think it could be better. Tomorrow ill try Prosaro soap but with todays Astra blade.
Any tips are always welcome

 

[cactusjack]

Day 3 ( I skiped Sunday)

Much like other days prep was shower then lather up Had the FB set on 7 with the same Astra blade.

Had an excellent first pass then dialed back to 5 for the next 2.....

My general face was nice and smooth but the neck even after 3 passes was not the best. I think i need a little more neck practice or maybe try a couple of techniques to see what suits.
Still happy with the FB its really growing on me. Cant wait to compate it to the Black Beauty thats on the way.

 

[Mad Man]

Hey Paul,

my neck is my challenging area too (especially towards the top and under the jawline).

Have you tried stretching the skin? One good way is to lift the chin right up (crane your neck and head back) and pull down at the base of the neck to really stretch the skin. With my growth patterns it works to help clean it up.

Dont sweat it on the FB- takes a while to get the hang of it (as every other razor I've found).

 

[BBS Kirk]

I love the Fat Boy! I use an Astra SP and use setting 3 for the first pass. 4 with XTG passes. It is a great razor. I picked up on it fairly quickly.

Kirk

 

[Joezamboni]

I agree with the statement that a slim is a more "effective" shaver than the fatboy. I bought my fatboy mainly to be a decoration, and it requires a much more extreme exposure setting than a slim to be effective. That said, I had received a Merkur OC 12C and Gillette New LC right before the fatboy and both are more more efficient at giving a close shave, although the 12c take a little more focus.

 

[DirtDiver]

As soon as I finished cleaning mine, I popped in a Wilkinson blade and set it to 4-5 and went to town. It was quite possibly the best shave yet and I have not changed anything since. I generally use an Astra or a feather in my Toggle though, and I think that they are pretty similarly designed razors. I imagine the Astra or feather would perform equally well in the Fatboy. I did notice that there was a different angle required for peak performance than my other razors. I need to hold the handle a little more parallel to the ground with this one, meaning a shallower angle with the blade flatter against the skin... so basically gliding the "cap" or silo doors on my face rather than the guard. But thats just me...

 

[redrako]

CactusJack, I think that you've got the right attitude for experimenting with different razors.

As you're discovering, each razor has it's own geometry and blade/razor combinations that work well for it.. Fairly quickly we develop muscle memory that works for particular razor. When we pick up a different razor, consciously we need to dial back that ingrained way of holding the razor and pay attention to the basics, finding the razors sweet spot.