What did I Buy?

[Shutterbug57]

I have wanted to try an adjustable for a while. I won an auction with what the seller said was a "Fatboy and another Gillette". My thought was it is a Slim and a Flair SS. I appreciate input from those with more expertise than me.

At $25 delivered for the grimy pair, it seemed like a fair, but not great deal. I will PIF the flair to a newbie and may keep the Slim if I like it. Otherwise it will get PIfed too.

 

[PFP_Dad]

You're right. Both of these make great shavers, though I prefer the slim. Enjoy!

 

[BRITD]

With a good clean and some black enamel paint for the numbers, the slim looks like it should shine nice again. Enjoy

 

[Shutterbug57]

With a good clean and some black enamel paint for the numbers, the slim looks like it should shine nice again. Enjoy

Yeah, a cleaning surely is in order. Is there a trick to repainting the numbers so they look right?

 

[JazzyJ]

It's pretty rare to see a decent slim go for less than $30, so I'd definitely say you got a good deal. I actually just got my first slim recently as part of a lot too. It was pretty grimy, so it's been soaking in dish soap and water for about a day now. Can't wait to try it!

 

[dcobranchi]

Is there a trick to repainting the numbers so they look right?

Testors model paint and a really fine brush.

 

[bharvey60]

Any gloss black enamel applied with small brush. Wait 2 mins then carefully wipe off excess with tissue dipped in a little paint thinner. Use thinner sparingly. Good as new.

Would suggest first cleaning for a few cycles in an inexpensive ultrasonic cleaner. Got mine from Harbor Freight for $30 and they work wonders. Well worth the investment to restore vintage razors and keep your collection in top shape. After cleaning and painting, it also helps to submerge any TTO razor in mineral oil available at your local drug store in the laxitive section. Don't recommend using as a laxitive after diping the razor, though.

 

[Shutterbug57]

This is too funny.

I got the razors today and cleaned them up. The Slim is a 1966 3Q product and has some tarnish on the plating of the handle. You can somewhat see it in the original pic from the auction, but that pic was over exposed, so it mostly washes out. The paint in the numbers is fine. If I decide this is a keeper, I will probably have it replated nickel or rhodium.

The Flair SS, as it turns out, is my wife's birth quarter That was totally unexpected. Instead of the PIF pile, which was the plan, I will give this one to her if she wants it. It has some mild brassing on the side plates, but if she wants it, it will go to the replater for a plating job in the color of her choice.

The other thing was that the Slim had a blued Gillette blade in it with the arrows on it that show how they come out of the package. Do the modern Gillette blades come like that? I use Personnas which are wrapped individually, but not too sure about the Gillettes. BTW, the blade was not rusty and appeared to have been unused. I tossed it anyway.

ETA: I got my first shave in with the Slim this morning. I guessed at a setting of 4 and got a DFS. I will have to play with it, but it is a keeper.