Relative Newbie Question

[Major Overkill]

My latest obsession is vintage safety razors. Right now, I have a 1951 Super Speed, and I just purchased a 1966 Slim, both to go along with a modern Vikings Blade Chieftain Jr. HOWEVER... I've heard nothing but great things about the original Gillette Fatboy. I've seen some for sale, typically going for $50 and higher. Not that this price would be too high, but it did start me wondering: aside from an aborted Kickstarter a few years ago, has any manufacturer made the equivalent of modern Fatboy? That is, a new razor, but with a similar heft and design to the Gillette classic.

Comments? Cliches? Commentary? Controversy?
-Z

 

[Old School TSD]

Razor emporium has a line of new razors called Rex Supply Co. The Rex Ambassador is a modern adjustable. There's a big following of lovers and haters...I'm on the hater side, but don't have the Ambassador. I've got the Envoy model (3 piece, not adjustable), and it tears me up.
With over 125 razors that don't tear me up, I decided to put the Envoy up in the buy sell trade thread here.

 

[Flintstone65]

I don't know the answer to your question -- I am predominately a vintage shaver -- but I am curious, of the 3 razors you mentioned, do you notice a large difference in how they shave? Do you prefer the Slim (i.e., adjustable) to the Super Speed? I ask, because I cannot tell the difference between the Slim and the FB (shaving-wise, that is the shave and the results)...and I honestly don't get much of a difference between the Super Speed and the Slim (other than the adjustability).

I suspect the popularity of the Fatboy has less to do with the razor and it's shave, and more to do with it's vintage heritage....but that may be just my take. If I follow my reasoning, it means that most modern manufacturers could likely reproduce the FB, but I'm not sure that would be enough to make it a successful return on investment. But that's just me. I'd rather have an old razor (i.e., vintage) than new one.

 

[Old School TSD]

Agreed, can't beat the classics.
I'll take a 1980 porsche 911 over a modern Ferrari any day, but that's me.

 

[silverlifter]

Janus made/make a Toggle, the precursor to the 195. There was crowdfunding a couple of years back to make a replica FB, but I don't know that it got anywhere beyond taking people's money...

 

[Dyllern]

My latest obsession is vintage safety razors. Right now, I have a 1951 Super Speed, and I just purchased a 1966 Slim, both to go along with a modern Vikings Blade Chieftain Jr. HOWEVER... I've heard nothing but great things about the original Gillette Fatboy. I've seen some for sale, typically going for $50 and higher. Not that this price would be too high, but it did start me wondering: aside from an aborted Kickstarter a few years ago, has any manufacturer made the equivalent of modern Fatboy? That is, a new razor, but with a similar heft and design to the Gillette classic.

Comments? Cliches? Commentary? Controversy?
-Z

I think this is what you are looking for:

https://globalshave.club/shop/ols/categories/gillette-replica-razors

 

[NorthernSoul]

The Slim shaves very similarly to the Fatboy, some would say better overall. There's a lot of sentimentality & nostalgia around the Fatboy, people wanting to get their birth year razor, etc., that drives up the prices.

 

[tm3]

I think that the Rex is kind of a FB copy and that the Pearl Flexi is kind of a Rex copy.

Nothing wrong with the FB, and a lot of folks love them, but for me it is not impressive. I much prefer the Merkur Progress.

 

[Major Overkill]

Agreed, can't beat the classics.
I'll take a 1980 porsche 911 over a modern Ferrari any day, but that's me.

My Dad had a 1977 Porsche 911 Targa pop-top convertible I miss that car!

 

[Major Overkill]

Janus made/make a Toggle, the precursor to the 195. There was crowdfunding a couple of years back to make a replica FB, but I don't know that it got anywhere beyond taking people's money...

The latter is the one to which I referred in my original post. I was hoping someone had gone farther than the "take peoples money" phase, is all.

 

[Major Overkill]

I don't know the answer to your question -- I am predominately a vintage shaver -- but I am curious, of the 3 razors you mentioned, do you notice a large difference in how they shave?

I haven't received the ones besides the Super Speed + Chieftain Jr. yet. As soon as I do, you can bet I'll compare the bunch.

Here's the thing: I have fairly sensitive skin, + thin facial hair. So far, I've found that I need to be more careful w/the Super Speed- silver tip- than w/the Chieftain Jr. to make sure I don't wind up w/some razor burn after shaving. That's one reason I was interested in the adjustable + a Super Speed blue- a milder shave. I'm also fairly new to DE shaving, having spent years w/the Harry's brand.

Speaking of the latter, when I asked them if there were plans for Harry's to produce DE razors + blades, the response was that they're looking at it. Given the high quality of their existing product, I'd absolutely be interested in trying Harry's DE razors + blades.

-Z