Got my 59 Fatboy back today

[Alum Ladd]

Oooooo, I really love that Thank you so very much!!! This is a keeper for sure! I can't wait till I'm part of the Gillette Fatboy club. This is fun!!!!!!!

Just be aware that there is no such thing in the archives, as a 'fatboy'.

Gillette called it the 195 Adjustable, after the $1.95 price.

In the UK they were known simply as the Gillette Adjustable razor. The 'Slim', an official Gillette designation, was called the Gillette Mk 2 Adjustable.

This Fatboy (Standard) – Gillette Adjustable Razors - https://gilletteadjustable.com/fatboy/ is a very good and quite detailed overview of the 195.

 

[gpjoe]

Oooooo, I really love that Thank you so very much!!! This is a keeper for sure! I can't wait till I'm part of the Gillette Fatboy club. This is fun!!!!!!!

...and nowhere does it instruct the user to open the doors when adjusting the razor, or caution that if you fail to open the doors that damage to the equipment may occur.

Much like the "should I oil my Superspeed?" debate, there will always be different opinions, but I tend to follow the direction of the company that made the item.

If you want to open you Fatboy to adjust it or oil the hinge points or adjustment mechanism, fantastic. Do whatever makes you happy.

 

[Alum Ladd]

...and nowhere does it instruct the user to open the doors when adjusting the razor, or caution that if you fail to open the doors that damage to the equipment may occur.

Much like the "should I oil my Superspeed?" debate, there will always be different opinions, but I tend to follow the direction of the company that made the item.

If you want to open you Fatboy to adjust it or oil the hinge points or adjustment mechanism, fantastic. Do whatever makes you happy.

Conspiracy theory time!

Or maybe Gillette wanted you to break your 195 and later Slim, because it began to dawn on them that they had sold you a decades-defying engineering masterpiece for about $14 in todays money, and just wanted you to buy another one?

 

[Bosh Hog]

Sent my Fatboy to Back Gold Road for a tune up and while it was there I decided to get it replated in gold.. It was a pleasure dealing with Chris, couldn't be happier. Hope you guys like it. View attachment 1455921View attachment 1455922View attachment 1455923View attachment 1455924View attachment 1455925View attachment 1455926

Gorgeous

 

[gpjoe]

Conspiracy theory time!

Or maybe Gillette wanted you to break your 195 and later Slim, because it began to dawn on them that they had sold you a decades-defying engineering masterpiece for about $14 in todays money, and just wanted you to buy another one?

Ahhhh... planned obsolescence. Very sinister.

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

So, now that I have had a chance to come home and relax in front of my computer, I took a good look at that manual. I absolutely had a ball reading it, it really felt like a blast from the past, and I felt like I was living in the past, as if it were today. When I finished reading it, I was like, awwww, but I wanted there to be more, I was having fun!

What amazes me, is much of the advice that they provided on how to shave, is exactly the same advice that we go by today. It just goes to show, it doesn't matter if its 1959, or 2022, the same applies. Now, because I am new to this razor, I lack the knowledge that many of you have. So for many of you, those razor dispensers are probably like no thing to ya.

But I remember seeing them in Ebay auctions and wondered, how the heck do those things work? Well, good thing I have the manual now! I am totally blown away, that Gillette came up with an efficient, and safe, blade dispenser system. The manual shows how you were supposed to line it up over the razor head, and then push your thumb forward, to expose a blade, and then once in the end, you pull back the dispenser. Absolutely genius!

One wonders why they don't do that today? Or at least, when I go shopping for DE blades for Gillette razors, I just find the standard tuk boxes, I don't see Gillette blade dispensors. I find this ara of history fascinating. Here I thought I was never going to buy a vintage razor when I signed up to B&B. But I am here to tell you that I am glad I ended up doing so. This has opened up a whole new world to me.

I always love shaving scenes in old movies and shows too, that depict safety razor uses. Believe it or not, the modern show, The Marvelous Mrs Masel, has a few safety razor shaving scenes in it, because it depicts an early period like the 30's 40's, 50's. I have a greater appreciation for Gillette now, kind of helps when you are into safety razors, instead of cartridge razors lol.

 

[Alum Ladd]

So, now that I have had a chance to come home and relax in front of my computer, I took a good look at that manual. I absolutely had a ball reading it, it really felt like a blast from the past, and I felt like I was living in the past, as if it were today. When I finished reading it, I was like, awwww, but I wanted there to be more, I was having fun!

What amazes me, is much of the advice that they provided on how to shave, is exactly the same advice that we go by today. It just goes to show, it doesn't matter if its 1959, or 2022, the same applies. Now, because I am new to this razor, I lack the knowledge that many of you have. So for many of you, those razor dispensers are probably like no thing to ya.

But I remember seeing them in Ebay auctions and wondered, how the heck do those things work? Well, good thing I have the manual now! I am totally blown away, that Gillette came up with an efficient, and safe, blade dispenser system. The manual shows how you were supposed to line it up over the razor head, and then push your thumb forward, to expose a blade, and then once in the end, you pull back the dispenser. Absolutely genius!

One wonders why they don't do that today? Or at least, when I go shopping for DE blades for Gillette razors, I just find the standard tuk boxes, I don't see Gillette blade dispensors. I find this ara of history fascinating. Here I thought I was never going to buy a vintage razor when I signed up to B&B. But I am here to tell you that I am glad I ended up doing so. This has opened up a whole new world to me.

I always love shaving scenes in old movies and shows too, that depict safety razor uses. Believe it or not, the modern show, The Marvelous Mrs Masel, has a few safety razor shaving scenes in it, because it depicts an early period like the 30's 40's, 50's. I have a greater appreciation for Gillette now, kind of helps when you are into safety razors, instead of cartridge razors lol.

These dispensers were called 'Speed Paks' and they came out with the Super Speed razor in 1948. The centre-bars on all TTO Gillette heads after about 1948 have a little notch. This is to hook the blade onto the centre bar for rapid reloading. My 1949 Super Speed has the notches as do all 1948 and after Gillette TTO's including adjustables.

The Super Speed with the Speed Pak was a complete shaving system. It was meant to speed up loading, shaving, and yes, buy more Gillette blades. There is nothing new under the sun.

Here is the 1948 Super Speed & Speed Pak instructions and packaging, courtesy of Mr Razor, a great site.