Got Me a Big Fellow!

[mistercitizen]

Well, first shave this evening with the Big Fellow. Before I shaved with it, I cleaned it up by letting it soak in warm soapy water for about a half and hour and scrubbing it with a toothbrush and soap. Then I polished it up with some Weiman's silver polish. I put a coat of lemon oil over the case and rubbed it good. The little micro scratches mostly came out and the rest of the razor shined right up. No plate loss anywhere that I can see. I'm really pleased with the way it looks, especially after having cleaned it up a bit.

The first thing I noticed about this razor is that it has a thicker baseplate compared to the other two Old Types I have. I put a Gillette Silver Blue blade in and had a very nice, smooth and irritation free shave. It's an efficient shaver. I had pretty good growth on my face tonight since it had been about 34 hours since I last shaved. It mowed through my beard on the first pass like a hot knife through butter. I finished the shave with two more passes. I really like the heavy feel of this razor in my hand..... and I'm pretty sure that I'm leaning toward the Old Type as my favorite vintage open comb.

This is a beautiful razor and it shaves like a dream. What else could I ask for? But I know that some of you guys will ask..... "where are the pics?". I will post some in a few days when I get a chance to take some proper photos.

Ben

 

[ojinsa]

Well, first shave this evening with the Big Fellow. Before I shaved with it, I cleaned it up by letting it soak in warm soapy water for about a half and hour and scrubbing it with a toothbrush and soap. Then I polished it up with some Weiman's silver polish. I put a coat of lemon oil over the case and rubbed it good. The little micro scratches mostly came out and the rest of the razor shined right up. No plate loss anywhere that I can see. I'm really pleased with the way it looks, especially after having cleaned it up a bit.

The first thing I noticed about this razor is that it has a thicker baseplate compared to the other two Old Types I have. I put a Gillette Silver Blue blade in and had a very nice, smooth and irritation free shave. It's an efficient shaver. I had pretty good growth on my face tonight since it had been about 34 hours since I last shaved. It mowed through my beard on the first pass like a hot knife through butter. I finished the shave with two more passes. I really like the heavy feel of this razor in my hand..... and I'm pretty sure that I'm leaning toward the Old Type as my favorite vintage open comb.

This is a beautiful razor and it shaves like a dream. What else could I ask for? But I know that some of you guys will ask..... "where are the pics?". I will post some in a few days when I get a chance to take some proper photos.

Ben

Thanks for the update! How would you compare it to the chromium big boy?

 

[mistercitizen]

Thanks for the update! How would you compare it to the chromium big boy?

That is a great question! I have not used the New SC Big Boy in such a long time, but I would probably has to say that I like the shave I get from this Old Type Big Fellow just a little bit more. They feel nearly identical in the hand, although I don't know what the specs are on both..... one may outweight the other just a bit...... but I've come to like the straightforward head of the Old Type and with the heavier baseplate on this Big Fellow, it seems to make me like it a bit better. I think that the Old Type is a little milder compared to the New SC. I had no nicks or irritation with this Big Fellow shave, but it seems like I would always get at least a little burn with the Big Boy. That may have more to do with my skill level at using a DE back when I got the Big Boy and used it in the beginning though.

I should get out the Big Boy and try it again since it's been so long, but for right now I've give the edge to the Big Fellow.

Ben

 

[ojinsa]

That is a great question! I have not used the New SC Big Boy in such a long time, but I would probably has to say that I like the shave I get from this Old Type Big Fellow just a little bit more. They feel nearly identical in the hand, although I don't know what the specs are on both..... one may outweight the other just a bit...... but I've come to like the straightforward head of the Old Type and with the heavier baseplate on this Big Fellow, it seems to make me like it a bit better. I think that the Old Type is a little milder compared to the New SC. I had no nicks or irritation with this Big Fellow shave, but it seems like I would always get at least a little burn with the Big Boy. That may have more to do with my skill level at using a DE back when I got the Big Boy and used it in the beginning though.

I should get out the Big Boy and try it again since it's been so long, but for right now I've give the edge to the Big Fellow.

Ben

wow, I think that's pretty high praise! Interesting...so the baseplate on the Big Fellow is heavier/beefier/thicker/bigger than the baseplate on the big boy? Very interesting indeed....

 

[mistercitizen]

wow, I think that's pretty high praise! Interesting...so the baseplate on the Big Fellow is heavier/beefier/thicker/bigger than the baseplate on the big boy? Very interesting indeed....

Well, the baseplate on an Old Type Big Fellow is heavier/thicker than the baseplate on an Old Type Single Ring or Bulldog. I'm not sure about the comparison with a New Short Comb Big Boy. I'll have to check. If I had to guess, I'd say that they are about the same heft, but I know that they are also shaped differently, so it's not exactly an apples to apples comparison. There's probably a thread out there that compares them and has pics.

Ben

 

[mistercitizen]

There's this thread with has some discussion and pics:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/119838-Big-boy-Deluxe-vs-Big-Fellow

Ben

 

[mistercitizen]

Really, just looking at some pics, I'd say that the Big Boy New baseplate has a little more "heft" to it than the Big Fellow Old Type baseplate. But, as I mentioned, they are different designs, so it's not a true apples to apples comparison. I think one of the things that appeals to me about the Old Type is the straightforward shape of the comb. The New Short Comb has a little more of a sharp turn down at the end of the comb..... it's not as "fluid" or "flowing" for me I guess.

Ben

 

[mistercitizen]

Okay, finally got around to taking some photos of my cased Big Fellow:



Ben

 

[alex2363]

That case is so intact and minty looking, you were lucky to acquire it in such good condition.

 

[TonyJoe]

Zowie, That set is a beaut! Congrats!

 

[grump]

Wow, That is a beautiful razor. congrats.

 

[Jeff_H]

That case is in amazing shape for being 93 years old. My maternal grandfather was born in 1921 and I have a ball end Old Type plated in silver from his birth year. It does not have a case but I am on the lookout for one and when I find it I want to get the case and the razor replated in Silver.

I also think the Old Type is slightly milder than the New OC, although I've only shaved with the LC version. The blade on the Old Type feels a little straighter on my face, for lack of a better term. The blade on the New feels a little more curved.

Anyhow, congrats on such a beautiful case and razor. Even better that it has significant meaning for you.

 

[mistercitizen]

Thanks guys. I really couldn't be happier. One nice feature of the wood case compared to so many of the metal cases that Gillette made is that the lid on the wood case is more likely to not get "tweaked" to the point that it doesn't close down properly. The metal cases have lids and boxes that are more flexible and suseptable to warping...... but the wood cases are not so much that way. The lid on this case aligns perfectly and snaps down just as designed.

I could probably stand to polish the handle a little more with some silver polish...... especially the knurling..... but because of it being silver and how silver tarnishes, if you use it (which I will) it will only stay shiney for so long. I don't think I will ever get this one replated because there is really no plate loss at all on it..... just some fine scratches. Those scratches give it some character and will just remind me of the wrinkles on my grandfather's face before he passed away.

Ben

 

[Mick]

That is really nice. I hope you enjoy using it.