You can age and color brass to different patinas but regardless of that or if you polish it to a high shine once it is done sealing it in a brass lacquer is not a bad idea to keep it from eventually rotting and keeping the patina the way it is. That assuming you don't try and do your own nickel re-plate on it.
http://www.gilletteadjustable.com/fatboy.html Covers all this with pictures. An E-clip with a custom sized washer works well when you mangle the retainer clip trying to get it out.
http://www.gilletteadjustable.com/date-codes.html Gap settings are there. When you go to calibrate it when you put it back together best way to is make sure it is correct at 5 but assemble with the adjuster at 9. You can't over press the base plate assembly that way. When it bottoms out on the knob that is as far as it has to go.
The only issue i am still having is with gapping. One side seems to be wildly different from the other at setting 1 i have 0.016 and 0.034 at 9 i have 0.04 and 0.06 This appears to be the result of the safety guard being bent. One side is visibly higher than the other.
This might require the dreaded Butter Knife Fix. I'm not sure what it is, but I've heard it mentioned before. Have you shaved with it yet and do you think 0.02 variation will greatly affect results? I'm liking the looks of nickle & brass! Delta Echo does cerakote finishes with variations like that.
Looks easy enough. Looks equally easy to screw up. Key word seems to be "gently." So with absolutely no warranty, implied or otherwise, here's a description: https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/issue-with-gillette-slim.410091/#post-6388156
Tried shaving with the fatboy today... Ended up switching to my fusion proglide to finish the shave... Tried settings 5, 1 and 9 on both sides of the fatboy using a brand new feather blade... bleeding all over and tons of drag. I can blame the bleeding on poor technique, but i noticeably get more drag with fatboy than with fusion proglde. For giggles, i tried shaving with my kitchen knife few years ago and that is the closest thing i can think of to using fatboy... Granted, i keep my knives scary sharp... I'll give fatboy another shot in couple days, but so far i am not impressed. I mean if i was stranded on a desert island and all i had to use was a fatboy... i'd probably melt it down and try to make a radio...
If you'd like to hang out with a couple coaches and a bunch of cheer leaders you can train up on your technique in The 30 Day Rule / Focus Group. This is Fat Boy February so plenty of guys have theirs out working on their skills.
Thanks, i'll keep it in mind. I am one of those people that started shaving with a basic cartridge at the age of 16, got tired of shaving by the age of 18 and been "trimming only" since then. The only reason why i shaved today was to try out the fatboy. Usually my shaving polici is such: I only shave if my lady fried tells me i am not getting laid until i shave or some of them stop shaving, and blackmale me into also shaving... But other than that i usually just trim, so i actually have a babysoft face underneath all the bush. Starting to get few grey hair now at the ripe old age of 37, so about 20 years of no shaving... figured time to train up the shaving routine, since i have no intention of having salt-pepper beard.
Since i already massacred my face today, i figured, what the heck, lets keep going... What i determined is that i get a good feedback and shave with fatboy after i get the face as smooth as i can with the fusion proglide. So it seems that fatboy has a place, but on my face it is not as convenient as proglide for heavy lifting like stubble after a trimmer..
When transitioning from carts to double edged razors, it's understandable and encouraged to do what's comfortable with the new to you razor, but clean up with the known tool. Same thing happens when folks start using a straight razor. Takes a month's worth of shaves to figure out the angle of attack, grips, pressure, etc. Try just going on a downward pass on your cheeks with the Fat Boy, and finish everywhere else with the Fusion. The DE razor has a different technique - very little pressure and keep the cap of the razor on your face. As you tip the handle from 90 degrees straight out toward your face, when the blade first make contact - that the right place. The guard bar under the blade never need touch your skin. That's real close to the angle that a straight razor gives it's best service. Only use enough pressure to wipe away the lather.
Ah, and another thought just occurred to me. Anyone tell you about the extra quarter turn? If you tighten the knob until it just feels snug, it actually isn't fully tightened. Go a little further. It isn't universal, but it's common. So don't bear down hard - it should move with just a little resistance for another quarter turn. Not doing it can produce exactly the results that you got.
Once you get the technique down you will have no trouble with the safety razor taking care of whatever stubble you have. You will be able to ditch the cart garbage.
Don't kid yourself. It's worn out and useless for anything except scrap. Send it to me. I'll handle disposal.