Got this as an xmas gift. The tray part does have some chips (yellowish parts) and the razor def needs a tune up (dials not really smooth and the tray doesn’t raise up evenly). I found a few places that will tune and replate at a reasonable cost. What would you do? Tune only or throw in the replate?
Gillette Fatboy, should I replate this piece?
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I would try cleaning it up by my self, soaking it in dish detergent might free up the dial. From what I see by your photos your razor looks pretty good.
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I actually tried cleaning it up and soaking, but no luck.
What year was the Fatboy produced ? - view code on base.
My in progress restoration F4 - so compared to mine yours in excellent condition.
www.badgerandblade.com
My in progress restoration F4 - so compared to mine yours in excellent condition.
Gillette Fatboy F4
Hello Everyone, My father recently gave me his Gillette 195 ( Fatboy) which he purchased new in 1963. It is an F4 ( produced last quarter of 1960) and I started taking it apart in the last few days. I will be restoring it myself - something I will be attempting for the first time . Off-topic...
www.badgerandblade.com
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Looks pretty good to me. Soak in hot water and dish detergent for a few hours, rinse, repeat. It should loosen up in time. Doors not opening up evenly is not a problem as long as they close together. Not enough plating damage for a re-plate imo.
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It’s an E1, so I’m guessing ‘59.What year was the Fatboy produced ? - view code on base.
My in progress restoration F4 - so compared to mine yours in excellent condition.
Gillette Fatboy F4
Hello Everyone, My father recently gave me his Gillette 195 ( Fatboy) which he purchased new in 1963. It is an F4 ( produced last quarter of 1960) and I started taking it apart in the last few days. I will be restoring it myself - something I will be attempting for the first time . Off-topic...
Yes - first quarter of '59
Date Codes - Gillette Adjustable Razors
Gillette Adjustable Razor Manufacturing Date Codes 1955 - 1988 The date code stamped by Gillette into your razor is in two parts. The first is an alphabetic letter which corresponds to the year of manufacture as indicated in the table that follows. But, the Gillette date code is both an...
gilletteadjustable.com
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First question would be have you ever shaved with a Fatboy before ?
It would be a shame to go and have it replated and then find out you don't like it. But being a Christmas gift and all .
It would be a shame to go and have it replated and then find out you don't like it. But being a Christmas gift and all .
Use it. Enjoy it, don't replate it imo.
There's some great, reputable places that do a tune up and replate. I had my birth year/quarter Slim replated (as well as few others) by Back Roads Gold and was very pleased with the results.
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- #11
Never tried. But even if I don’t like it, it will be a nice showpiece since it was an Xmas gift.
One part of me likes that it’s in its original condition, another part wants to restore it to its factory glory, and lastly it would be kind of cool to do a paint job similar to what Back Roads Gold does. At this point I may just buy another two Fatboys haha.
A few years ago I was looking for a junk Fatboy cheap, so I could get it replated. Unfortunately, the Fatboy cult following has jacked up prices on even poor condition to stupidly high prices. In reality, the successor to the Fatboy is the Slim adjustable, which shaves much better.
I did find a Fatboy in awesome condition on the cheap, but the shave is disappointing compared to many of my other vintage razors.
I did find a Fatboy in awesome condition on the cheap, but the shave is disappointing compared to many of my other vintage razors.
Messygoon
Abandoned By Gypsies.
I had a similar Fatboy (and Slim) and a Back Roads Gold service and replacing turned it into a stunner (see below). I’d do it again in a heartbeat. But I’ve also decided to only do it again for a razor of sentimental importance or one for which I plan to put into my small rotation.
I would love to know, what did you decide?
lasta
Blade Biter
Those are chips/pitting, a replate will not bring it back. Outside: the razor looks fine.
If the knob is tough, a light spray of WD-40 or mineral oil should be more than enough.
If the knob is tough, a light spray of WD-40 or mineral oil should be more than enough.
FatBoys (except Red Dot ones of course) are not particularly rare. Some of us like the scars while others like nice shiny things. Either way its never going to be what it was like when it came out of the Gillette factory so there is no right or wrong here.
You should do what makes YOU happy so that YOU will enjoy the razor whenever its in your hands.
You should do what makes YOU happy so that YOU will enjoy the razor whenever its in your hands.
I like it as is and would not be able to justify the $$ on a replate for that guy. but its a personal choice either way you get to enjoy a nice razor.
+3! Definitely!!
I like the recommendation to try it first to see how you like it. Then you can decide if a replate is in order. Personally, I think a replate would be cool, but I would prefer to use it as is.
First off, your razor, do with it what you wish. With that said, before jumping in with getting it tuned up or replated, recommend a good cleaning by either:
1. get a heat-tolerant container deep enough that you can submerge the razor in completely. Boil some water (enough water to cover the razor once it's in the container) and then pour the boiling water into the container with the razor (open the butterfly doors first) in it and sprinkle some baking soda onto the razor (be careful, the baking soda will bubble up) and once the bubbling dies down you can add a bit more. The hot water will carry the baking soda into the interior of the razor and you'll begin to notice a few bubbles coming from the ends of the open razor and a lot of old soap scum and detritus will float to the surface. Let it cool and repeat if necessary, and or add cool water to the container and rinse the razor under warm water. Run some hot tap water, fill the container with hot tap water and liberal amounts of Dawn dish soap, and let it soak overnight, then rinse. The mechanism should free itself and the blade tray should move freely; if it doesn't, let it soak some more.
2. Forego the baking soda bath and just let it soak in Dawn for a couple days to get everything moving.
Looking at the photo of the razor closed, the gap is off (it's wider on the left hand side than the right) so it's probably been dropped sometime in it's life and bent the guard either up on the right side or down on the left -- you can usually tell which side is out of alignment because the doors won't open evenly or it will catch and bind. You can tweak the guard up or down with a flat blade screw driver (I prefer a butter knife) to get it into alignment and then check the gaps for even ness by sight or feeler gauge -- there are threads on B&B that will step you through it, the mantra is to go slow and make small corrections. With that said, these are pretty rugged razors, but brass is soft.
Get it shaving, then polish it with a little Flitz metal polish and it will be a great razor.
This is all the tune up maintenance you can do yourself, and if you like it, it's good and you haven't sprung for much money at all, and then down the road you can replate it or get it tuned if it's still not right. At that point, you might as well just get it replated it as the replater will take it all apart, plate it and then "tune" it once it's together before returning to you.
There's a lot of info on this site to walk you through getting it shave ready
1. get a heat-tolerant container deep enough that you can submerge the razor in completely. Boil some water (enough water to cover the razor once it's in the container) and then pour the boiling water into the container with the razor (open the butterfly doors first) in it and sprinkle some baking soda onto the razor (be careful, the baking soda will bubble up) and once the bubbling dies down you can add a bit more. The hot water will carry the baking soda into the interior of the razor and you'll begin to notice a few bubbles coming from the ends of the open razor and a lot of old soap scum and detritus will float to the surface. Let it cool and repeat if necessary, and or add cool water to the container and rinse the razor under warm water. Run some hot tap water, fill the container with hot tap water and liberal amounts of Dawn dish soap, and let it soak overnight, then rinse. The mechanism should free itself and the blade tray should move freely; if it doesn't, let it soak some more.
2. Forego the baking soda bath and just let it soak in Dawn for a couple days to get everything moving.
Looking at the photo of the razor closed, the gap is off (it's wider on the left hand side than the right) so it's probably been dropped sometime in it's life and bent the guard either up on the right side or down on the left -- you can usually tell which side is out of alignment because the doors won't open evenly or it will catch and bind. You can tweak the guard up or down with a flat blade screw driver (I prefer a butter knife) to get it into alignment and then check the gaps for even ness by sight or feeler gauge -- there are threads on B&B that will step you through it, the mantra is to go slow and make small corrections. With that said, these are pretty rugged razors, but brass is soft.
Get it shaving, then polish it with a little Flitz metal polish and it will be a great razor.
This is all the tune up maintenance you can do yourself, and if you like it, it's good and you haven't sprung for much money at all, and then down the road you can replate it or get it tuned if it's still not right. At that point, you might as well just get it replated it as the replater will take it all apart, plate it and then "tune" it once it's together before returning to you.
There's a lot of info on this site to walk you through getting it shave ready
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