Hey guys I'm curious. I've been looking at the gillette fatboys, and noticed they have a pretty hefty price tag. I'm sure they are great razors. But are they really worth all the hype?
Have one, haven't used it, but don't really see any difference in mechanical workings from the Slim. Others here will have MUCH better opinions. There's even an Adjustable thread that probably gives a good breakdown.
I'm not sure about hefty prices, but they are fine razors. They are quite efficient, although i like my slim, the fatboy just feels better to me.
They are well built, look nice, and shave well. Are they scarce'? No. You'll find 150 on eBay right now. Do they shave 50% better than Slims to justify the market price differential? Probably not most would agree. So it comes down to intangibles and that's your call. I paid as about the same for my Rockwell and Gibbs adjustables as I did for my Fatboy and no longer have my Fatboy, but I guess I value the shave (as I define it) more than those intangibles. Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
I have one Fatboy. It is in better shape than my first one which I sold or piffed after I got my current one. If you really want one, decide what you are willing to pay for one. The way I got mine was I would put in my maximum bid on as many as three fatboys at a time. I figured if were to win more than one, I could keep the best and sell the rest. They do sell well. That way, I did not pay more than I was willing. If you are patient you will eventually get your fatboy. They do clean up pretty well, and they are good shavers.
The fat boy is a nice shave. The Slim is too but is a hair more aggressive due to the difference in the cap angle. The fb curves the blade a bit more which to me makes for a smoother shave. Slim on the left fb on the right. Ooops, grabbed the wrong pic Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
That's a Black Beauty on the left, not a Slim. Not nitpicking. A Fatboy is heavier than a Slim. I prefer the extra weight in a razor so I'll take the FB. Both are great shavers. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
Gillette made quite a few of them between 1958 - 61. They made Slims from '61 to '68. I've yet to find production numbers, but I suspect there's more Slims than Fat Boys. I've owned several variations of the #195, a couple Slims, and one Black Beauty. Of those I found the E Series Fat Boys shaved the best for me. If / when I find another in my price range I'll bring it home, clean it up, and see how it compares to the one E-4 FB I've kept. They do trade off easily. That's the key to "are they worth it" - what are you willing to pay? None of the 8 or 10 adjustable Gillettes I've brought home were from the bay. I visit thrift store, antique shops, garage sales, and flea markets. Estate sales are where you'll pick up a 30-60 year old razor. That's where the ones on auction sites come from. The good news is they are durable machines with all or mostly brass construction and generally intact nickel plating. So set your limit and keep your eyes open. If you want one, they are around.
Y'all are right it sure is a black beauty. I grabbed the wrong picture. Sorry. Here's the one I meant to post. However the slim and black beauty heads are very similar Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
@Kevinwine85 - there's a discussion about Adjustable Gillettes HERE. Lots of Shave Porn by proud owners that would be pleased to answer questions.
FWIW, CAP and RazorPlate both agree the D series (D3 and D4) have the best plating. They can't tell you why but they do. They also seem to be more expensive on the bay. And just for informational purposes, there is no D2 Fatboy and a D1 Fatboy is the unicorn Red Dot variety and will cost about $500...if you can find one. It is essentially a Toggle head with a Fatboy TTO. I know Mr Rick knows this, I'm just one of those proud owners that fell in love with Gillette adjustables and has one of them all. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
I'm a Generalist, and Jack of Many Trades. You James, have a deeper knowledge about these than me. I'm copy/pasting those two nuggets of wisdom away in my Gillette data folder. I learned something today!
Yes the Fat Boys and Slims are essentially the same in design, but are as about as different as two brothers in the same family. I can get a fine shave with either one, but I have two Fat Boys and just sold my slim (again). I prefer Fat Boys from 58 or 59; I think are better design, but all years will save beautifully. BTW the two I own are a 58 and 59, but I've own all the years.
Before I bought my first adjustable (I was given an heirloom Super Adjustable) I studied them hard. 1958, D series, was the best year because it had the D1 Standard Toggle (gold), the D1 Red Dot Fatboy, and in the 3rd quarter D3 the first production 195 Fatboy hit the streets. I set out to collect them all. The D3 was my first purchase, then the Toggle and most recently the D1 Red Dot. Along the way I was also fortunate enough to pick up another unicorn, the 1960 F4 Chrome Toggle (actually nickle plated) that was introduced just in time for Christmas. I am blessed to have them and more importantly USE them all. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
A fatboy is one of the most durable, iconic, and easy to use,razors ever made. They are about double the price of a slim or black beauty...and the only person that can determine that value is you. The market has already spoken, however. I recommend that everyone uses a Gillette tech and Gillette fatboy. They are "must-try" razors.
I bought my fatboy for $40, while the slim and black beauties were around 25-30, that's including shipping
It's a dandy razor. But the market for the Fatboy, unlike most durable, iconic, and easy to use models, is to a peculiar extent distorted by collectors and speculators who bid up prices for the better condition razors which many don't even use. There's always that guy willing to pay silly money because he "needs" an E2 to sit next to his E3. It's a fetish which fortunately hasn't infected most other great Gillettes or razors from other manufacturers. Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
I live in a small town that's populated by less well informed folks. The first Fat Boy I ever saw up close at an antique shop had an ebay approved asking price of $45. I passed on it, and within days got one for less than $20. Best I've done was an estate sale. Went straight to the bathroom of the recently vacated home. A piece of masking tape had a hand scribbled $4 price tag. It's in the hands of another TSD member now for the barter/trade price of a couple tubs of Proraso soap, or maybe that was the Tabac. Either way I only need one good adjustable Gillette at a time. All the others have been cleaned up and rehomed for less than the going rates. I count Flare Tips in that list, too. They are plentiful and cheap. Blue or Red Tips and Starburst more rare but if you start "collecting" they sell for less than many adjustables. As to alternative models I get much the same shave from a '46-'47 Aristocrat or a '55 Red Tip as a Fat Boy set at 9.