For those who want nostalgia and a sense of status with a razor it will only be the "FatBoy" because it is now like a brand name. That causes problems in sellers misnaming other razors "FatBoy" to increase interest (whether accidentally or maliciously).
I have Fat Boys, Slims and both the long and short handle Supers, and while they are good razors, any of my adjustable Schick injectors will shave circles around them!
I have and use in my rotation a Fatboy, a Slim, a Long Handle Super Adjustable (plastic base), and a Merkur Futur. They all give me great shaves. Is one better (very subjective, I know) than another? For me, no. In reality it boils down to matter of preference. Like more heft? Go with the Fatboy or Futur Like a longer handle? Go with the Super Adjustable Doesn't really matter? Can't go wrong with the Slim. I guess I'm not overly picky. I have over 30 safety razors in my rotation. Unless I'm on vacation and only have two razors with me, I rarely, if ever, use the same razor twice in the same week. Do some give better shaves? Sure. Then why not just use those that give better shaves? For me it's not all about the end results. I enjoy the process and all that goes with it. I like thinking what sort of history my 1918 Old Type or my 1930's MMOC might share if they could talk. Bottom line, if you can't get a Fatboy, don't miss out on the fun any other adjustable can bring.
I've been fortunate to have a FatBoy, Slime, and all models of the SA in my den. I like them all! I've not really seen any difference in quality of the shave from the SA with plastic base vs. the metal. There might be a slight difference in weight, but not noticeable to me. One of my metal base SA's was my first vintage Gillette and it holds a special place because of that. I find the FatBoy a fantastic razor, but I was pretty lucky to find mine for reasonable prices. After comparing between the 4 different models, I would only recommend that if you can get your hands on one of these Gillette adjustable razors take it for a spin.
I have all 3 Gillette Adjustables. My favorite is the Fatboy, however, I belive the Slim gives just as good a shave. The Super is nice, but not heavy enough for me. Another nice Adjustable is the Schick Adjustable Injector. I get very nice shaves form that.
I have 6 different adjustable razors, 2 Merkurs (Futur & Progress) and 4 Gillettes (Toggle, Fatboy, Slim & Super Adjustable). I don't, as a rule, use any of them regularly. I think razor manufacturers have been trying to deal with the need for different degrees of aggressiveness for users with sensitive skin to heavy beards or new shavers for a long time. For Gillette, the Fatboy or 195 was a better answer than making 3 separate versions of the Super Speed (blue, plain and red handles). Logistics of the 3 razor solution would always suck while the 1 adjustable razor solution was a very good one for Gillette. Gillette managed to milk the “adjustable” solution from the original bottom adjusting Fatboy/Toggle to the Fatboy/Slim in the early ‘60s through the mid ‘70s with the final Super Adjustables. I think if not for the corporate shift to the multi blade market, Gillette would still be making the Super Adjustable in some form as it is the final evolution of the DE razor. There are differences through the adjustable progression. 1. The blade tray was changed from the orginal Fatboy/Toggle to the final fatboy. It got simpler moving from inside the shave head to outside. 2. The head height of the Fatboys was reduced for the Slims as a performance enhancement (I think). 3. While the mechanicals of the final Fatboys and the Slim are the same, the handle of the slim is narrower and longer than the Fatboy. 4. The mechanical differences between the Slim and the Super Adjustable is a modification to the tray and a lighter plastic coated handle. The progression of the adjustable Gillette from the original bottom adjusting Fatboy through the Super Adjustables is a minor study in reducing manufacturing cost not performance. On the Gillette side, I find very little to no shave performance (blade to face) difference between any of their adjustables. The range seems to be from very mild all the way up to a slightly aggressive. I tend to use Rolls so my idea of aggressive might be skewed.
I love my fatboy! It delivers to me a very smooth shave consistantly! The slim adjustable I have is also a very nice razor but I have much better results with the fatboy. Now the Schick adjustable I have gives a comparable shave as the fatboy does on my face. It does give a close shave on my head but much rework is needed for me. So fatboy, Schick adjustable then slim and not an adjustable but a great razor for me ... my red tip.
A Wise man told me just because I don't understand it doesn't make it impossible or wrong. For a long time science said bees should not be able to fly. I don't understand it either but? I prefer the short handles. Less to get in the way. Man there sure are a lot of Whovians on here. Great episode.
Great topic! I've used all three as well, and prefer the long handled SA. For my big ole paws, it just fits better (more on this later). I prefer all the longer handled razors to the shorter ones. And especially with the adjustables. But I really, really, like JoAnna's SA...I was highly tempted when I worked on it to take a regular chrome one, paint it gold, and send it back instead, but I wouldn't do that. .... would i? tl;dr = he likes the slim best ah yes, apparently many of us in that club...of course, being members of this community, it goes without saying many of us are doing that, too :biggrin: I understand what you're saying that the longer handle can get in the way if you choke up on the razor, but I'm having a hard time understanding that the angle changes. I mean, the handle is still 90 degrees to the head, so the any razor you use would have the same angle to your preference. Like I said before, the longer handled razors fit much better in my hand, I have much more control, and more comfortable and confident in my shaves. I do use and like the shorter handled razors, but my preference is for the longer handles. Perhaps because I was in percussion in band for 12 years, and all that time using all my fingers for manipulating drumsticks and mallets that I can manipulate a longer handled razor better, I dunno. tl;dr: I don't get what you're saying that the angle changes, but I can see what you're saying about the longer handle being in the way if you're used to letting the butt end of the handle move freely under your fingers ttl;ngr: ROLL TIDE!!! back on topic: I haven't tried any other adjustable razors, so I don't have any other suggestions on the topic. And there's no platypus controlling me
Very good, observation on the handle. We are not so concerned about the lack of platypus control, however that penguin ... (oops wrong place)!
I find the super adjustable a touch more mild than the slim and the fatboy. Honestly, I like the feel of the thicker handle more on the fatboy; however, I think I get better shaves on the slim. A progress is OK. I think the best adjustable I have used is a Mergress XL. However, 90% of the time I don't mess with adjustables.
I jumped on the Fatboy bandwagon while the gettin was good and have two in my collection. IMHO the razor was genius for its time and delivers a great shave with the right blade. I enjoy the aggressive shave that the Fatboy and the Slim Adjustable deliver at higher settings (7-9) However I do tend to use my 1970 Super adjustable the most. Haven't found a Gillette that out shaves the Merkur Slant Sledgehammer...Yet
Ditto. I've owned and used several, never kept one and don't get a hankerin' for the ones I parted with. However, I certainly do see the appeal of the FB...it's just never grabbed me like it does some.Was never in my regular rotation, much less my go-to shaver. For me the FB is at bottom of Gillette's list of adjustables. Not bad, just not the best. /insert mileage statement here
+1 I just picked up a 62 Slim the other day. Tried it on 5, not bad. Cranked it up to 9, wow! BBS! I like the slim alot, the only other razors that shave as close are my Gillette Old Type OC and my Micromatic Clog Pruf. Of course I like my Hoffritz slant too and my Canadian Gillette...RAD is a terrible thing
Hiya, The Fatboy's almost exactly the same razor as the Slim and Super Adjustable. The only differences between those and the Fatboy are the weight, balance, handle length and knurling pattern, and the head design. Oh yeah, the Fatboy also shaves totally different from those other two razors. Other than that, they're all identical. Martin Heh, I may have been a tiny bit sarcastic somewhere in this post
