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Received my first Gillette Fatboy :)

I was lucky enough to get a Fat Boy F4 in mint condition a few weeks ago.
Before that, I used KCG and two Slims.
For me and my hands the Fatty is perfect. My favorite setting is at #5. Blades are Gillette 7 o'clock sharp edge and german Wilkinson sword. I should try the Astra again.
Happy to hear you managed to pickup a mint Fatboy too! Welcome to the owners club!
The KCG is an awesome razor! I have one too, its the cheapest razor I own but one of the best performers, it'll always be in my rotation. I recommend the Gillette Nacet & Rubie blades too, gives them a go they pair well with the Fatboy. Were you able to get the case & blades with your Fatboy?
 
Very nice razor, congratulations on the acquisition. I like the weight of the Fatboy and the Slim, it helps me to stop putting any pressure on the razor when using them.
I agree the weight does help. I heard some people found the head of the Fatboy was too big to fit under their nose area. However it works pretty well for me, so I'd imagine the Slim will be even easier haha. Do you have any other vintage razors, Gillette or otherwise?
 
I shave with my grandfathers 59 fatboy. My favorite blade in this razor is the Gillette Platinum Plus (Brazil made). I get 10 shaves before it begins to dull. Slap on a little SunUp AS and you cant hardly get more vintage!
Sounds awesome & 10 uses is excellent! I tried Gillette Platinum (don't think they were the plus though) but after the second shave they got very buggy and dull. Great for the first two shaves but not more for me. What does SunUp smell like? I'm in my early 30's so I don't know many classic scents, but I do love Tabac scent, its one of my favourites. I recently ordered some Fine Accoutrements L'orange noir shave soap & aftershave splash, along with two Blackship Grooming soaps & a Captain's Choice soap & balm. I'll be looking forward to trying them. I don't know where most of the members reside here but I am in Switzerland, because of that there are no brick & mortar shave stores here. I'm jealous of those in the States as there seems to be lots of stores there. I wish I could smell soaps & hold hardware items before I bought them. Even though I can research scent profiles on internet its not the same. There are lots of PAA soaps I'd like to buy but I wish I could smell them first. Sorry for the tangent there haha.
 
Yes, with nearly perfect case and instruction manual.
No blades.:(
But only 40 bucks, that is really a steal in Germany.
Oh wow that was a steal! Did you buy it online? So we both have a mint case, but you've got the instructions I'm missing & I've got the blades/ holder you're missing haha. I think you should easily be able to find an original blade box on eBay, seen a few of them around. I was looking for the instructions, but they seem harder to find. I also discovered that there a several different instructions, depending on the year of the razor's release. Since you are in Germany & I'm your neighbour over in Switzerland, do you know of any brick & mortar stores which sell shave gear to visit? Most of them seem to be in the States, which isn't helpful for us. I've been trying to find somewhere a bit more local as we get stung so much for international shipping rates.
 
Sounds awesome & 10 uses is excellent! I tried Gillette Platinum (don't think they were the plus though) but after the second shave they got very buggy and dull. Great for the first two shaves but not more for me. What does SunUp smell like? I'm in my early 30's so I don't know many classic scents, but I do love Tabac scent, its one of my favourites. I recently ordered some Fine Accoutrements L'orange noir shave soap & aftershave splash, along with two Blackship Grooming soaps & a Captain's Choice soap & balm. I'll be looking forward to trying them. I don't know where most of the members reside here but I am in Switzerland, because of that there are no brick & mortar shave stores here. I'm jealous of those in the States as there seems to be lots of stores there. I wish I could smell soaps & hold hardware items before I bought them. Even though I can research scent profiles on internet its not the same. There are lots of PAA soaps I'd like to buy but I wish I could smell them first. Sorry for the tangent there haha.
SunUp smells very similar to Right Guard original sport in the brown can. It was originally made by Gillette as well. Sadly SunUp was discontinued in the late 60s. I was lucky enough to score 5 bottles. On occasion it pops up on the bay. Its hard to explain the smell. Its not a musk based scent. Its lighter, with a hint of a powdery smell but with an overtone of moss, lavender, and something a bit heavier...I just cant put my finger on it. The Platinum Plus blades I was talking about were made in Brazil and were discontinued a few years back. They were/are excellent blades.
 
Gorgeous Fatboy, congratulations! I have a similarly clean Fatboy and it is one of my smoothest shavers.

And now it's gratuitous Fatboy story time!

Once upon a time, I found a gorgeous, near-mint Fatboy at an antique mall in Williamsburg, Virginia and purchased it for $25. I took it home and used it and really liked it.

HOWEVER, I got a trade offer from a guy in Europe who really, really wanted my Fatboy; he offered me a Montblanc fountain pen in trade. I told him that his fountain pen was worth a lot more than the Fatboy, and that he could sell the pen and buy several Fatboys, and asked him if he was sure he wanted to trade it. He said he was aware that the trade was unbalanced but wanted to make the trade anyway, for convenience' sake, since he had no use for the pen anyway. So, a trade was made.
I sold the pen on Ebay for approximately $230 (don't remember the exact price). I was elated.

After a period of time, I began to really miss the Fatboy. I set off on a search of local antique stores to see if I could find another. One afternoon I came across an antique store in Norfolk, VA that looked a lot more like a hoarder's house than an antique store. I could hardly walk through it, with junk piled up to about 5 feet deep on all sides. I could only see one razor in the entire store; it was a GEM that I was not interested in. I was disappointed, and was about to leave when I decided to just ask if there were any other razors, given that there was so much junk in the store there was no way to look through it all. The owner said, "Hmmm" and looked up at the ceiling, a bit perplexed. After a few seconds he said, "I think I have one more. Let me see if I can find it."

He came up out of the junk with a dusty old case and inside was a Fatboy. It was in desperate need of a cleaning, but all the parts seemed to be functioning. I acted like I wasn't excited and asked him, "How much for this?" He looked off for a second and then said, "Fifteen dollars." It was all I could do to not break into a huge smile; I wanted to laugh out loud. Instead, I hemmed and hawed and then said, "Okay, I guess," and gave him a 20. He gave me the razor and a fiver and I walked out of the shop. As soon as I got outside I laughed out loud.

I got home and cleaned it up and it was absolutely pristine, just like the one you showed in the OP. It shaved beautifully and is now a prized possession. I swore right then and there that no matter how many razors I purged from my den, I would never again sell or trade a Fatboy. It is still in my rotation, and it still shaves just as smoothly and sweetly.
 
do you know of any brick & mortar stores which sell shave gear to visit?
There are several in Berlin and Munich as I know.
Some Manufactum stores carry a lot of interesting stuff. Swiss Pitralon for example :eek:))
I am living in the Ruhr area. It is nearly impossible to buy even german products like Tabac soap in shops or warehauses.
 
SunUp smells very similar to Right Guard original sport in the brown can. It was originally made by Gillette as well. Sadly SunUp was discontinued in the late 60s. I was lucky enough to score 5 bottles. On occasion it pops up on the bay. Its hard to explain the smell. Its not a musk based scent. Its lighter, with a hint of a powdery smell but with an overtone of moss, lavender, and something a bit heavier...I just cant put my finger on it. The Platinum Plus blades I was talking about were made in Brazil and were discontinued a few years back. They were/are excellent blades.
I've not smelt Right Guard of any type either lol. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't PAA make a scent in homage to SunUp? Great that you've managed to stock pile some too! It sounds a nice scent profile. Ah I see, so they are indeed different to the Platinums I've tried. Maybe you'll get lucky & find some on eBay now and again.
 
There are several in Berlin and Munich as I know.
Some Manufactum stores carry a lot of interesting stuff. Swiss Pitralon for example :eek:))
I am living in the Ruhr area. It is nearly impossible to buy even german products like Tabac soap in shops or warehauses.
That's interesting to know, I never knew Pitralon was Swiss haha. I have seen it many times in Coop supermarket here. Wow I can't believe you can't get Tabac there, in the country its made in! 😲. I only started wet shaving about 2yrs ago, so I am still discovering a lot. But Tabac was the first proper shaving soap I tried, I instantly feel in love with the scent. Amazingly you can buy Tabac in Sun Store pharmacies here, with or without the ceramic bowl. But as its Swiss prices, its cheaper to order it online haha.
 
Gorgeous Fatboy, congratulations! I have a similarly clean Fatboy and it is one of my smoothest shavers.

And now it's gratuitous Fatboy story time!

Once upon a time, I found a gorgeous, near-mint Fatboy at an antique mall in Williamsburg, Virginia and purchased it for $25. I took it home and used it and really liked it.

HOWEVER, I got a trade offer from a guy in Europe who really, really wanted my Fatboy; he offered me a Montblanc fountain pen in trade. I told him that his fountain pen was worth a lot more than the Fatboy, and that he could sell the pen and buy several Fatboys, and asked him if he was sure he wanted to trade it. He said he was aware that the trade was unbalanced but wanted to make the trade anyway, for convenience' sake, since he had no use for the pen anyway. So, a trade was made.
I sold the pen on Ebay for approximately $230 (don't remember the exact price). I was elated.

After a period of time, I began to really miss the Fatboy. I set off on a search of local antique stores to see if I could find another. One afternoon I came across an antique store in Norfolk, VA that looked a lot more like a hoarder's house than an antique store. I could hardly walk through it, with junk piled up to about 5 feet deep on all sides. I could only see one razor in the entire store; it was a GEM that I was not interested in. I was disappointed, and was about to leave when I decided to just ask if there were any other razors, given that there was so much junk in the store there was no way to look through it all. The owner said, "Hmmm" and looked up at the ceiling, a bit perplexed. After a few seconds he said, "I think I have one more. Let me see if I can find it."

He came up out of the junk with a dusty old case and inside was a Fatboy. It was in desperate need of a cleaning, but all the parts seemed to be functioning. I acted like I wasn't excited and asked him, "How much for this?" He looked off for a second and then said, "Fifteen dollars." It was all I could do to not break into a huge smile; I wanted to laugh out loud. Instead, I hemmed and hawed and then said, "Okay, I guess," and gave him a 20. He gave me the razor and a fiver and I walked out of the shop. As soon as I got outside I laughed out loud.

I got home and cleaned it up and it was absolutely pristine, just like the one you showed in the OP. It shaved beautifully and is now a prized possession. I swore right then and there that no matter how many razors I purged from my den, I would never again sell or trade a Fatboy. It is still in my rotation, and it still shaves just as smoothly and sweetly.
Hello Kingfisher,

I apologise for my late reply, I've been working away from home this week and haven't had a chance to respond. 😣.

I absolutely loved your story, what a wonderful journey you had to obtain your Fatboy! 😃. The price you acquired them for is incredible too! I'm envious of your antique malls out there lol. It's funny, when it comes to collectables, whether it be razors or whatever, sometimes someone will sell something and have no idea of it's real value, then someone like yourself comes along and is fortunate enough to grab a real bargain! I am stunned that guy traded a Mont Blanc pen for it, my wife bought a Mont blanc pen from Germany once, I remember how expensive that was! I hope the guy thoroughly enjoys the Fatboy though.

Ever since I read how you obtained your second Fatboy I have been dreaming about walking into an antique store myself and finding a pristine Fatboy or Toggle haha. I can for sure picture how elated you must have been. I am very happy to have heard your story, it has made me want to find antique stores and start looking myself now. Also finding one in such a way must bring a great sense of satisfaction too? It must have been very exciting to have cleaned it up and to see what a gem it was. I have a small antique store in my village, doubt they'll have anything but it's always worth a shot right, it's like the lottery, got to be in it to win it haha.

Enjoy your Fatboy and may you have many lovely shaves with it 🤠.
 
I've not smelt Right Guard of any type either lol. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't PAA make a scent in homage to SunUp? Great that you've managed to stock pile some too! It sounds a nice scent profile. Ah I see, so they are indeed different to the Platinums I've tried. Maybe you'll get lucky & find some on eBay now and again.
I have a sample tube of PAA's version of SunUp. Its called SunDown. Sadly, to my nose it is not even close. I have a good supply of the Platinum Plus blades. At 10 shaves a piece I can get 690 shaves LOL. I am not sure what you can get where you are, but I also find the Personna Lab blue as a good blade, as well as the med prep. Many here like the GSB. I however am just so so on them. Then again, I really enjoy my Gillette Techmatic. It seems to be roundly hated on the boards, but once one gets the angle down, it is really a comfortable shaver. (at least for me) The term "your mileage may vary" is sooooo true! :)
 
I have a sample tube of PAA's version of SunUp. Its called SunDown. Sadly, to my nose it is not even close. I have a good supply of the Platinum Plus blades. At 10 shaves a piece I can get 690 shaves LOL. I am not sure what you can get where you are, but I also find the Personna Lab blue as a good blade, as well as the med prep. Many here like the GSB. I however am just so so on them. Then again, I really enjoy my Gillette Techmatic. It seems to be roundly hated on the boards, but once one gets the angle down, it is really a comfortable shaver. (at least for me) The term "your mileage may vary" is sooooo true! :)
Thats it SunDown, I'd forgot the name. Disappointing to hear it doesn't smell the same for you. Wow 690 shaves is certainly good value for money :thumbup:. I believe I have a pack of Personna Lab Blue, well the table is blue at least, I tried them in my Rex Ambassador but didn't like them. I haven't found a site where I can buy Med Prep's. I tried Gillette 7 o'clock yellow (these weren't tough enough for my whiskers & tugged), then I tried Gillette 7 o'clock Blacks (these were too aggressive for me lol). Maybe the middle of the row green's will be just right! The two best blades I've tried are Gillette Nacet & Rubie's, love them.
 
Thats it SunDown, I'd forgot the name. Disappointing to hear it doesn't smell the same for you. Wow 690 shaves is certainly good value for money :thumbup:. I believe I have a pack of Personna Lab Blue, well the table is blue at least, I tried them in my Rex Ambassador but didn't like them. I haven't found a site where I can buy Med Prep's. I tried Gillette 7 o'clock yellow (these weren't tough enough for my whiskers & tugged), then I tried Gillette 7 o'clock Blacks (these were too aggressive for me lol). Maybe the middle of the row green's will be just right! The two best blades I've tried are Gillette Nacet & Rubie's, love them.
The Rubie is very much like the GPP. I had one from a sampler pack and loved it as well.
 
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So I gave it a go today with a King C. Gillette (2) - started a 7 and cranked it up to 9 for XTG and ATG. It always behaved well with only a little of bladefeel so a DFS+.
Still it doesn’t moves me as much as using the Progress…
 
View attachment 1360483So I gave it a go today with a King C. Gillette (2) - started a 7 and cranked it up to 9 for XTG and ATG. It always behaved well with only a little of bladefeel so a DFS+.
Still it doesn’t moves me as much as using the Progress…
Now that's a great setup!
When I had a Fatboy I only used it @9. It was a very nice shave. I don't exactly like the ergonomics of the handle amd the high profile pre-1962 Gillette head, but that is a subjective thing.
Never used a King. C. Gillette blade. Try it with the sharpest blade you have. A Super Iridium would be good.
 
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