Alot of companies are now making adjustable razors by copying each other. Must not be much patent making these days. Im wondering is,, anyone really interested in an adjustable that actually copies the actual physical shape of GOOD adjsutable razors like the fat boy or black beauty? Id be happy to get a new made TTO thats even half has good as the knack
i would love one,but would easily be happy buying an NOS super 84 or fatboy,or slim.i have purchased a few NOS late 40s british gillettes and i use them now.trouble is,my adjustables work as they should so i don't need to find new examples.
The Rockwell T2 and T2 SS aren't identical to a vintage but the way the razor head morphs to adjust the blade gap is the same as the Gillette adjustables, unlike how the Viking, Weishi, etc. Work. There is also a razor called a Fat Guy that has some good reviews, but for the cost many just get a real one.
global shave club... funny people. The question would be if the head is exact shape, what is the gap..
I have the Pearl Flexi and Parker Variant (both safety bar versions). Both of these shave better for me than vintage Gillette adjustable TTOs.
I actually bought a new in box Black Beauty but I can't bring myself to open it. I already have a couple in good condition to use.
that is very cool.when i bought my NOS british gillettes i wanted to experience opening and using a razor of the era for the first time.it was pretty cool but no difference shave wise than my lightly used ones.i probably wouldn't open a rarer or more valuable gillette,but then i wouldn't purchase one either.i don't collect them for collector's sake, but i do to use them as they were intended and i like clean near to new examples.
I also buy to use. I guess if my used ones "wear out", LOL, not likely in my lifetime unless I used them exclusively and lived a long life, perhaps I would have to open the new one.
I guess I’m not a big adjustable razor person. I have two Gillettes, a 195 and a SA109. Have also had two short handle Super Adjustables. The Fatboy is my favorite of the four I’ve used. Tbh, for as often as I reach for an adjustable razor the 195 is more than satisfactory, to say the least. Imo, it’s the adjustable razor equivalent of the Martin D-28, the standard by which all other dreadnaught acoustic guitars are judged. As far as collecting, I agree with @brit. I’m not running a museum. If I have it I’m going to use it.
new in box, as in unused? I once saw a christmas black beauty in original plastic case, and card box sell for 670$ on ebay. That had been opened and used. Ive never seen NOS british gillettes before sadly. Always heard they there harsher then the americans. And as i used my american aristocrat junior TTO, with the lettering centered on the bend in the bottom plate, i dont want a "harsh one"
to explain why its a head shape i cant use... i have to start with my modern era of shaving. Started back up in 2015 with a weishi tto. nuff said on that.. i could and did shave while sleeping. Then i purchased from razor emporium a a gillette tech travel razor, with the cast dome type zamac top cap. it shaves, but it sucks.. harsher then my fatboy on 5. Then i ended up with a Bostonian, this razor minus the case 1921-22 Early Gillette Bostonian Silver w/ Case and Razor Box Serial #338379A | eBay It was a bad idea. Very bad. It left me looking like Mr. Freddy. I ended up with scars that took about a year to heal up and dissapear. That razor inspred me to purchase a gillette no date code old type, complete with cracked brass tube handle. I can shave with it, but its like shaving with a piece of dog food can lid. And it leaves me with massive amounts of ingrown hairs no matter what. Its best used for shaving my wrists. I was then inspired into the world of edwin jagger and Merkur via a 34C.. Now im happy to admit that it was a nice razor over all, the shape of the head place it right between the bostonian and the old type is horrid shaving results, pain, and in grown hairs. THis spring i purchased one of the van der hagen adjustable merkur knock offs. It was not made well, but design wise.. when set on the lowest setting, using any blade i tried in it, it was more painful then using the old type. Pain wise... i have an allergy to citrus. I have used LUCKY TIGER shave soap, after shave lotion, and pre shave facial scrub, and gotten the same amount of burning and physical pain. Using the UNlucky tiger product line in a single shave helped me learn i have an allergy to citrus in soaps and lotions. Almost everything these days seems to be a reboxed merkur/jagger head. And from the amazon ads, Parker is using a nearly identical head now for their 3 piece razors.
ive been looking at the side by side comparisons of the fat guy and fatboys.. its not the same thing. When you have the fat guy and a 59 or 1960 fat boy, with blades installed, and put to the same gap setting... the fat guy is thicker.
My fatboy is number 1 razor. It lives on setting 5 and only has Astra Superior Platinum. Its going to be around a long time. I have 280 ASP on hand... and i dont think i should share them with my others. Number two blade is a 1953 ball end tech that seems to do best with treet black beauties.
If I had to guess, I would say that your trouble with using a double edge razor is probably due to too much pressure, an improper angle, or maybe both. Your shave prep might also be lacking. There is a learning curve to using a DE razor without causing nicks/cuts/irritation. I don't think it's the shape of the head; I can assure you that there are many people using those razors very effectively without problems. For example, I used the Parker Variant this morning and got a close, comfortable shave without irritation. My suggestion would be to take a look at your shave prep and technique.
Even in my early days I never blamed the razor. I just thought at that time to use the razors that were working for me which meant ones that didn't gave me cuts, knicks, irritation, ingrown hairs, etc. Later on I could use any razor. The same goes for blades. I stayed away from the sharper blades at first. Now they are ok with me.
