Help Needed! 1959 Gillette "fat boy" razor

[DTJ12777]

Hello everyone,

I have it lined up to purchase a 1959 Gillette fat boy razor. The seller is 9 hours away from me so I can't unfortunately view it in person myself first, however they were very kind to send me pictures from all angles so I could get the best possible look at it. I have posted the pictures here with hopes that anyone with a far better eye than me can see if I'm missing any problems or bent guards this razor may have. The seller mentioned this razor came from her late grandfather and she really doesn't know much about it but that it does open and close well. Im debating on sending it into the razor emporium for their tune up service regardless but if I can get away with not needing to I might skip it as shipping is expensive where I live. Thanks

 

[KeenDogg]

Doesn't look terribly bad. I see maybe a flea bite on the handle and maybe some clouding to the baseplate. Case has the hinges. Lid has a small stress crack and a hint of crazing around the viewer. You may want to ask to see under that blade though. Things can get ugly under there.
All in all, it's decent.

 

[santamariasteve]

Any used razor is a gamble, as is any used car, but the razor seems fine. The fact that the case has survived suggests care. The fact that it came from the seller's grandfather (only one owner?) is a plus.

There are no guarantees about most things in life, but I predict you may have an excellent razor. Remember settings 1-3 are mild, 4-6 are medium, and 7-9 are aggressive/very aggressive. More is not necessarily more. Sometimes more is less. Most shavers get the best performance from a Fat Boy from the mid range settings.

BTW I have white, tough "old man" whiskers and my Fat Boy at setting 5 is a perfect combination of comfort and efficiency for me. Your goal is comfort and efficiency.

Please give us a report in several weeks on how you like your razor.

 

[xiletero]

Hope you got it and more important that you like it. I needs some scrubbing, rinsing and thorough cleaning before use.

 

[Neil-O]

Don’t forget the last 1/4 turn to get the blade and doors locked in before shaving with it.

 

[Quaznoid]

And loosen the doors before turning the adjustment wheel.
You don’t tell us the price so we can’t evaluate the deal, but the physical condition looks ok. Gillette razors of that era were tough, durable products that were hard to break. I’d be surprised if it wasn’t fine
After you clean it up w Dawn and a toothbrush, put a drop of machine oil down the barrel and stand it upright for an hour. Do that once a year and it will last forever

 

[luvmysuper]

Looks like a quick cleaning and you're ready to roll.

 

[Graydog]

When I in large the photo I see a lot of issues with the top, looks like it was not taken care of . A lot of corrosion is evident right on the edges of the doors .
I would look for another. Unless it's a super deal. Just saying. Good luck with what ever you decide.

 

[DTJ12777]

Thanks to everyone that has commented so far! I am still debating it, as for what the price is i'm getting it for $100cad (around $78usd)

 

[slim6596]

Don’t know if this makes a difference but, zooming in on the pics, it looks like the indicator is red?

 

[Graydog]

Don’t know if this makes a difference but, zooming in on the pics, it looks like the indicator is red?

The indicator is always red on the original Fatboy .

 

[BigJ]

Any used razor is a gamble, as is any used car, but the razor seems fine. The fact that the case has survived suggests care. The fact that it came from the seller's grandfather (only one owner?) is a plus.

There are no guarantees about most things in life, but I predict you may have an excellent razor. Remember settings 1-3 are mild, 4-6 are medium, and 7-9 are aggressive/very aggressive. More is not necessarily more. Sometimes more is less. Most shavers get the best performance from a Fat Boy from the mid range settings.

BTW I have white, tough "old man" whiskers and my Fat Boy at setting 5 is a perfect combination of comfort and efficiency for me. Your goal is comfort and efficiency.

Please give us a report in several weeks on how you like your razor.

Great advice! Any purchase has risk. But this piece looks like it is worth the gamble IMO.

 

[Quaznoid]

I wouldn’t pay $78 US. But that’s me. I wouldn’t pay that for any razor

 

[Bad Badger]

Its worth $78. It has the case which is in good shape and certainly helps the asking price

It just needs some cleaning with metal polish (Maas, Brasso, etc).

 

[Old School TSD]

$50 is a steal, $75 is fine from what I see, cleans up well, confirmed 1/4 lock down and adjustment dial works.
I'd go $100 if I was looking for one, saw those pics and KNEW it was in great shape.
That said, I've already got TWO too many lol.
Edit: $s in US currency.

 

[Haiku]

Looks to me like there's a fair bit of plating loss on the silo doors and under the head. But the pictures are so poor that I can't tell. I've no idea what fatboys are going for these days, so I don't know whether the price is good or not but by the look of things, I would consider this to be at best a "user" razor. The pictures are not good enough to know whether there's actual damage to the edges of the silo doors. I would guess there isn't but I can't tell. A razor blade left in the razor to rust. A sign that the razor has been sitting unused for years. That may be a good sign in terms of the mechanics either. You might want to ask whether there's any yellow brass showing through the plating. It looks like there is, but I can't tell.

 

[luvmysuper]

Based on the good condition of the case and the handle, I'm betting the doors are just soap scummy and that this thing will clean up very nicely.
Get it, clean it up and use it.
There's nothing I see that would indicate that it needs to be sent out for someone else to charge you to clean it.

 

[DTJ12777]

Thanks to everyone that responded! I received it today and just finished boiling it and cleaning it with dish soap and water and wiping it down with rubbing alcohol to be sure I have attached as up close pics as I could get and it cleaned up beautifully

 

[luvmysuper]

Looks like it will serve you well for many years to come!

 

[Bglayer]

Lovely looking razor mines an E2 the original design with the collar.Enjoy your new razor i love fatboys.