Advice on properly adjusting a Gillette Fatboy

I recently won/received a 1959 E3 Gillette Fatboy razor on ebay. This is my first Fatboy.
I'm seeking advice on the proper way to adjust the razor, I don't want to damage it.
I've seen videos where the blade was tightened down and then adjusted, and other videos where the bay doors were opened prior to adjusting and then tightened down. Any advice on this is greatly appreciated.

 

I open the doors, adjust, close and lock. Is that the right way? Don't care, that's how I do it.

 

Do not adjust after it is tightened as I believe that it can damage the mechanism...

 

. I leave the doors open and adjust then close it up.

 

I now have 3 adjustables and have done a lot of research on them before I picked up my first. You need to loosen the doors before you adjust the settings or you will damage the inner workings in time. Take your FB and open the doors. Then move the adjuster to 1. Looking at the razor very closely from the side move the adjustor up slowly to 9, and watch what moves. As you can see if you did this with a blade loaded and the doors closed all the way you would put a lot of pressure on the works. If you now put a blade in an close the doors part way make the same adjustments and you will see that the blade angle gets changed by bending the blade, and the blade gap to the bar changes. That's what makes these razors so great. Enjoy your Fat Boy.

 

Lots of people say to open them before adjusting.. I adjusted a Slim closed and nothing bad came of it. I did sell it off in a couple of weeks though. But think how long the previous owner owned it and who knows what they did to it. Saying it will damage the razor if adjusting while closed is hearsay. Look at the original instructions, the step of adjusting comes after loading/closing the razor. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/18811-Hi-res-Gillette-adjustable-manual-for-download! look at post #10 for the instructions.

 

Here is a copy of the instructions for a Gillette Adjustable. As I said enjoy your Fat Boy and if you are careful with it I am sure it will serve you well.

 

I adjust with the doors open on my 73 black beauty. I got this advise from many here and I've seen mantic say the same in his video on adjustables.

 

Open or closed it just seems less "stressed" to adjust the razor with the doors open. I have 5 (,58 Fat Boy, '58 Exec, '65 Slim, '70 SA, '75 SA) and always leave the doors open.

 

I adjust with the doors open...just makes sense to me and my razors appear to like it.

Ed

 

Doors open...........

 

I adjust both my Slim & Black Beauty with doors open. I mean, why risk it? Doesn't make sense to me

 

And just to play Devils Advocate...

in this Gillette commercial, the razor is adjusted AFTER closing doors LOL

 

There is a big difference between adjusting with closed doors and adjusting with closed doors after the final 1/4 turn lock-down.

It is certainly up to each how they take care or their razors. I will continue to adjust mine before the final lock-down.

 

Thanks to everyone for the great advice, I really appreciate it.
It does make more sense to me to adjust the razor with less tension on the blade and mechanism. I have yet to shave with this FB, but I'm going to adjust with the doors open and then lock down.

 

Gillette knows best.. Believe that they recommended that it be tightened after being adjusted. Why take a chance, it's only remembering to do it.

 

Play it safe and enjoy that razor - set on 7 gives me consistent great shaves.

 

Reading the instructions and watching the video, I'm thinking Gillette didn't think it mattered either way. Maybe it doesn't affect the razor. But, it sure is easier with the doors open. Sometimes it's pretty tight when they're closed!