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Fat Boy vs. Fat Guy razor

I struggle to understand the aversion some people apparently have about used or old razors. What is behind this?
Razors don't actually shave. The blade does. The blade is then discarded. Razors are also generally made of materials that are not particularly porous and are readily amenable to cleaning procedures.

In short, I don't understand what makes some people think that a used razor is abhorrent. Maybe somebody can explain it to me?
What would a porous razor look like? All wood?
 
I ordered a replitech from GSC. It was the fancy JFK model. I figured what the hell and didn't have particularly high hopes. I also ordered a black tiger to go along with it.

I never got the black tiger. The replitech is "ok". It is a Baili 131 with a fancy handle and different plating. The handle itself was roughly finished at the top so it was scratching the plating of the handle. The fancy handle fell short. I put in a nylon washer so at least it doesn't do any more damage.

So now it sits in my collection like a sock on a shower rod.

Am I happy? No. I am missing a razor and the replitech is nothing special. It is just a Baili 131 that you can buy for $10-$12 on Amazon. Personally, the 176/178 is a better shaver anyway.

I am happy all I lost was about $60. I wouldn't remotely recommend buying a Fatguy based on my experience above. Save your money and buy a real Fatboy.
 
The tone of your post does suggest you are experiencing a modicum of post purchase regret.

You would not be wrong. I would've asked Sheldon to cancel my order if the razor didn't already (miraculously) ship.

I'll give an honest review once it's in hand. Sorry about the tone of my earlier post, and apologies to anyone else who felt I was disparaging their choices.
 
You would not be wrong. I would've asked Sheldon to cancel my order if the razor didn't already (miraculously) ship.

I'll give an honest review once it's in hand. Sorry about the tone of my earlier post, and apologies to anyone else who felt I was disparaging their choices.
No problem and I do hope you enjoy the razor when you get it. As you say it's had some good reviews on line, and possibly the least gushing was SinatraLennon's. He said it shaved well.
 
I ordered a replitech from GSC. It was the fancy JFK model. I figured what the hell and didn't have particularly high hopes. I also ordered a black tiger to go along with it.

I never got the black tiger. The replitech is "ok". It is a Baili 131 with a fancy handle and different plating. The handle itself was roughly finished at the top so it was scratching the plating of the handle. The fancy handle fell short. I put in a nylon washer so at least it doesn't do any more damage.

So now it sits in my collection like a sock on a shower rod.

Am I happy? No. I am missing a razor and the replitech is nothing special. It is just a Baili 131 that you can buy for $10-$12 on Amazon. Personally, the 176/178 is a better shaver anyway.

I am happy all I lost was about $60. I wouldn't remotely recommend buying a Fatguy based on my experience above. Save your money and buy a real Fatboy.
I ordered a JFK and a plain one. I received two JFKs. They've both been sold at a loss.
 
What would a porous razor look like? All wood?
All surfaces, no matter how smooth they appear and feel macroscopically, are irregular and porous to some degree microscopically. Stainless steel and chrome-plated brass are, relatively speaking, smoother and less porous than many materials. That was my point: people need not worry about bacteria or viruses or fungi lurking within the surface of a razor like they would have to in a cutting board, for example.
That's why I don't understand the aversion. I wouldn't use a used blade, obviously, but a razor is nothing more than a sophisticated blade holder.
 
All surfaces, no matter how smooth they appear and feel macroscopically, are irregular and porous to some degree microscopically. Stainless steel and chrome-plated brass are, relatively speaking, smoother and less porous than many materials. That was my point: people need not worry about bacteria or viruses or fungi lurking within the surface of a razor like they would have to in a cutting board, for example.
That's why I don't understand the aversion. I wouldn't use a used blade, obviously, but a razor is nothing more than a sophisticated blade holder.
I was just trying to envision a more porous substance that could be made into a razor. My first thought was something made of sponge or cheese. As the son of a doctor and nurse, I'm well aware that sterilizing stainless steel is easy. We had re-purposed medical equipment we would use at the dinner table. My mom always used the bowel forceps to serve fried chicken.
 
I was just trying to envision a more porous substance that could be made into a razor. My first thought was something made of sponge or cheese. As the son of a doctor and nurse, I'm well aware that sterilizing stainless steel is easy. We had re-purposed medical equipment we would use at the dinner table. My mom always used the bowel forceps to serve fried chicken.
I wonder how those 3D printed plastic razors will look under the microscope after 1-2 years of use.
 
It's too late in the night for me to go through the entire thread, but I did skim through a few posts. Here are my unsolicited two cents on the issue, based largely on personal experience and some minimal deduction:

1. Fatguy is a cheap sub-par knockoff made of Zamakesque garbage. It's so bad, it should be relegated to the 99 cent "special" FS section on AliBaba.

2. In my opinion Gsc and all of their razors, absolutely all of them, without exception, are rebadged 3rd world contraptions with terrible new names. They do not hold up over time, are usually defective from the start, and are extremely overpriced. You can find the same stuff he sells for dirt cheap on foreign auction sites.

3. The sob stories that the GSC guy tells customers in his emails rival the Grimm Brothers.

4. The YouTube shavers who get free stuff sent to them from GSC, Phoenix, etc., invariably find them to be "very efficient, very good, just great, superb, awesome, [insert meaningless gushing adjective here]". To look for razor advice from them, is like looking for investment advice from a casino roulette operator. Note that they usually end up doing giveaways with the items they review. Do you know why? Because they suck.

That concludes my unsolicited 2 cents.
 
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I wish no ill will or buyers remorse for those choosing to go modern/new, it’s simply a personal choice. My comment was aimed at the OP‘s dissatisfaction with the GSC Fat Guy (as well as others with the company), and the fact that suitable (and affordable) Fat Boy original examples are out there. I prefer to find “DPRs” (Dead People's Razors) in the wild in antique stores and bring them back to life, and being a cheap bastard at heart, I don’t own any new/modern razors, but that’s just my choice. I tend to shy away from the 'bay because I can't put hands on before buying and the thrill is in the hunt anyway. Finding a Fat Boy in the wild was a driver when I didn't have one, then my wife stumbles across two of them in very good condition, in the same store and in the same case. I purchased both at $40 a piece, but kept an eye out because I wanted to find one myself. Months later, I stumbled across an E1 with a $7.00 price tag at an antique store booth dedicated to "candles, cats and throw pillows." At first I couldn't believe what I was seeing and then I got "all giddy like a school girl." Suffice to say, I can't get that same "thrill of discovery" shopping online and the "made in USA" stamped into the bottom of the base plate of my razors just makes them that much more special to me.
E1 Fatboy by itself.jpg
 
I wish no ill will or buyers remorse for those choosing to go modern/new, it’s simply a personal choice. My comment was aimed at the OP‘s dissatisfaction with the GSC Fat Guy (as well as others with the company), and the fact that suitable (and affordable) Fat Boy original examples are out there. I prefer to find “DPRs” (Dead People's Razors) in the wild in antique stores and bring them back to life, and being a cheap bastard at heart, I don’t own any new/modern razors, but that’s just my choice. I tend to shy away from the 'bay because I can't put hands on before buying and the thrill is in the hunt anyway. Finding a Fat Boy in the wild was a driver when I didn't have one, then my wife stumbles across two of them in very good condition, in the same store and in the same case. I purchased both at $40 a piece, but kept an eye out because I wanted to find one myself. Months later, I stumbled across an E1 with a $7.00 price tag at an antique store booth dedicated to "candles, cats and throw pillows." At first I couldn't believe what I was seeing and then I got "all giddy like a school girl." Suffice to say, I can't get that same "thrill of discovery" shopping online and the "made in USA" stamped into the bottom of the base plate of my razors just makes them that much more special to me.
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The plating looks good on that example, but I think the safety bar may be a little skeewampus. At least it appears that way to me. Sometimes when a classic Fatboy was dropped hard the safety bars get out of whack. Could also be an artifact of the photo. In person you should be able to tell if you take a close look. If it is messed up, fix it or get it fixed before you use it; your face will thank you.
 
It's too late in the night for me to go through the entire thread, but I did skim through a few posts. Here are my unsolicited two cents on the issue, based largely on personal experience and some minimal deduction:

1. Fatguy is a cheap sub-par knockoff made of Zamakesque garbage. It's so bad, it should be relegated to the 99 cent "special" FS section on AliBaba.

2. Gsc is a scam, and all of their razors, absolutely all of them, without exception, are rebadged 3rd world contraptions with terrible new names. They do not hold up over time, are usually defective from the start, and are extremely overpriced. You can find the same stuff he sells for dirt cheap on foreign auction sites.

3. The sob stories that the GSC guy tells customers in his emails rival the Grimm Brothers.

4. The YouTube shavers who get free stuff sent to them from GSC, Phoenix, etc., invariably find them to be "very efficient, very good, just great, superb, awesome, [insert meaningless gushing adjective here]". To look for razor advice from them, is like looking for investment advice from a casino roulette operator. Note that they usually end up doing giveaways with the items they review. Do you know why? Because they suck.

That concludes my unsolicited 2 cents.

Come on, now. Tell us what you really think.
 
The plating looks good on that example, but I think the safety bar may be a little skeewampus. At least it appears that way to me. Sometimes when a classic Fatboy was dropped hard the safety bars get out of whack. Could also be an artifact of the photo. In person you should be able to tell if you take a close look. If it is messed up, fix it or get it fixed before you use it; your face will thank you.
good eye, that picture was taken at the store and I noticed that the minute I picked it up, and a quick turn showed that side was a little lazy on opening, but all it took was a few small tweaks with a butter knife under the guard to get it back in line and a quick gap check and it’s been a “smooth operator” ever since. A butter knife works well for small adjustments on everything except a nylon black beauty (too soft)
 
good eye, that picture was taken at the store and I noticed that the minute I picked it up, and a quick turn showed that side was a little lazy on opening, but all it took was a few small tweaks with a butter knife under the guard to get it back in line and a quick gap check and it’s been a “smooth operator” ever since. A butter knife works well for small adjustments on everything except a nylon black beauty (too soft)

I bought two Slims dirt cheap and made them good as new with a butter knife. Gotta love brass, if you go too far, you can insert the knife from the top and take it right back. Trick is to take it very slow, like 15 minutes slow, slightly/gently nudging it to avoid causing ripples. Don’t forget to tape the knife.
 
That concludes my unsolicited 2 cents.

I'm not a lawyer, although I do have some legal experience in the UK. You may wish to reconsider your second comment which could possibly be construed as over-stepping the bounds of fair comment. I think we're all aware that the owner of GSC is a keen follower of fora, social media and YouTube.

Just my unsolicited 2 pennies worth and for what it's worth, on your other points, I'm not entirely disagreeing with you.
 
Damn....Nice!


Well I've just taken delivery of a 1959 Q1 Fatboy in immaculate condition, with a blade pack and case, for £20 less than it would have cost me to buy a GSC Fatguy. That takes account of all packing, shipping fees and taxes.

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It was shipped from Nebraska to Scotland in just over a week. No month long delays.
 
I think it's time to let this thread die and serve as yet another cautionary tale, but not before I speak my peace.

I get it. The way GSC does business leaves much to be desired. I'm no fool; I know the tracking number they gave me is just a tracking number. There is no package attached to it. If I was in a hurry to get the razor, this would be a problem. Fortunately, I'm willing to tolerate the inevitable song and dance Sheldon is going to probably give me. It is I who will have the last laugh because not only do I have recourse through PayPal, but also my Credit Card issuer.

Frankly, I couldn't possibly care less that there are used Fat Boys available for less money. I looked, and I didn't like what I saw. I am not so caught up in the Fat Boy/vintage Gillette "mystique" that I'm willing to pay the same amount of money for a less than pristine example with brassing and/or pitting, nor am I willing to spend $200 for a Razor Emporium remanufactured example; the Mrs. would kill me. It's easier to justify $109 for a brand new in the box copy that, at least according to what I've read on here, shaves as good as the original despite its obvious flaws.

I'm not buying it to scratch a nostalgic itch, or because I miss the "way they used to make 'em"; I'm buying it for the novelty of an adjustable razor that's within my budget. Let's be honest here: I own a Parker 87R that's a cheap Indian-made copy of a No. 66 Aristocrat, and I've been shaving happily with it for over a year. It's held up remarkably well for a sub-$30 razor, despite Parker's checkered reputation for quality control. I'll be pleased as punch if it lasts even ten trouble-free years, but if not, oh well. Yes, I know there are other adjustables out there for under $100. Merkur has the Progress, while Parker has their Variant, but neither is a TTO.

Long story short, I really don't get why attempting to make others feel remorseful about their purchase before they even get it is constructive to anything, GSC's scummy business practices notwithstanding.


So, I'm the OP of this thread. And I wasn't trying to make anyone "remorseful about their purchase before they get it"...... I was asking if the experience I had with my fatguy was what would be expected in a fatboy. I was trying to decide if this was just the way this style of razor shaved. I wasn't trying to tell anyone not to buy it. I did plenty of that in other threads :biggrin1:
 
So, I'm the OP of this thread. And I wasn't trying to make anyone "remorseful about their purchase before they get it"...... I was asking if the experience I had with my fatguy was what would be expected in a fatboy. I was trying to decide if this was just the way this style of razor shaved. I wasn't trying to tell anyone not to buy it. I did plenty of that in other threads :biggrin1:

No worries, mate. I'm still sorry you got burned, though. :sad:
 
If it's a true replica, it should be a smooth shaving razor like the Gillette, with the only hardware variables (from what I've heard/read), being the weight, finish (chrome vs nickel/gold plate) and the materials/build/assembly quality. You may just have a defective razor and a call to GSC may be in order. As far as technique goes, some find the weight and larger head dimensions less desirable and harder to work with and the Slims/Super Adjustables work better for them--if that's the case, an original Fat Boy will leave you wanting. To me, the Fat Boy is like driving a 4x4 truck in the snow--a little ungainly at first, until you adjust to the size/weight, and then it's solid and will go anywhere. The Slim/SA is like a Camaro in that you can drift and throw it around with ease but it's more apt to bite (if you add snow, then a Camaro is a REAL blast... until it isn't). 🚑
 
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