Adjustable? No thanks.

Far from a gimmick. Sure beats buying 6-7 razors before you find one with just the gap you want. Buy one, it's all you'll need.

 

Pure marketing gimmick, IMO!
It worked really well and they sold millions. Nothing to do with useful product, though. Almost everyone has it and almost no one use it at the same time.

 

I use all the adjustable razors in my collection, as I keep them in rotation.

 

Huh?

 

I think this has more to do with shavers these days, own multiple razors---some MANY razors. I would venture to say that back in 1958, if you owned a 195, you used it daily.

 

Early in my DE RAD I became enchanted with the short handle Super Adjustable. The look of it is very appealing to me. But I was inexperienced and couldn’t make it work worth a hoot, so I sold it. Bought another one, six months later and sold that one too. My friend gifted me with a SA109 and I rarely reach for it. The balance is off. One day I’ll find a Slim when I least expect it.

But,, my 195? There’s something near mystical about that razor. I get absolutely beautiful shaves with that tool! The heft, girth, adjustability(!)… it’s right on! Seems I’m an outlier here. I enjoy adjusting the dial between passes. 7 works great for pass one, 5 for the second pass. I’ve used it wide open, but not too often. Frankly I find it unnecessary for my needs. But that 7-5 combo is mighty sweet for me.

Fwiw, anecdotal observation over time suggests that in general the Fatboy was revered amongst wet shavers; the most sought and desired Gillette razor of all. Now with all the stainless steel and titanium high priced boutique and mid-priced razors on the market, the Fatboy seems to have lost some of its mystique and panache.

 

I started out with a Gillette Slim for $1.95 , have used it exclusively, daily since i was 15 but now, since I got my Dads Fatboy. The Fatboy is my prefered razor next to my Weber PH. Still use my Slim though.

 

i'm on my 3rd fatboy, 2nd slim and 1st super 84. I have grown to appreciate them in the collection and use them quite often. they won't replace my non adjustables but the 3 i have will be kept this time around.

 

I don't really use the birth year SA-109 I have (or the SA 84 I gave to a friend). However, I do use what I consider to be 'adjustable' razors all the time, if you consider multiple baseplates to make a razor adjustable. My Supply SE and Occam's DE both came with multiple baseplates or topcaps. I also have multiple plates for the Karve. Do I switch them? Only with the Karve. I guess the marketing worked...I pick a favourite baseplate and rarely change.
My Gamechanger and Hawks both offer multiple plates. I haven't seen the need for more with those, fwiw.

 

I own just about every type of razor out there, except for a few rare stupid expensive ones. I can get a great shave with them all. But, its the Gillette Fatboy that I reach for when I need a quick and comfortable shave. If I am taking my time, I prefer Straight Razors. Straight Razors beat all others.

 

I do get better shaves from my safety razors, DE or SE, than I do from my straight razors.
Saturdays are for my straight razor shaves, when I can really take my time and concentrate. I like 'em for the "cool" factor Sometimes it's more about the journey than it is about the destination.

 

Just the opposite for me. Much closer shaves with a Straight Razor.

 

My adjustables include: Merkur Progress, Parker Variant, 1960 Gillette Fatboy, 1958 Gillette Fatboy (restored, so I don't use it as it's a collectible and not for shaving but appreciating in value), Vikings Blade Emperor Augustus, PAA Ascension, PAA Ascension Select, Wizamet W-11, and Weishi Nostalgic Adjustable.

 

My first ever razor was a flare tip, not sure but I believe it was a 55 being there were enough leftover and my dad bought it in 57. My dad was a razor swapper/dealer back then and he'd fit in here with all of you nuts. . Me? I'm after the shave, the results or whatever it takes to keep my face from the itch. I don't know how many razor I have but I have a few in each direction. (Brit) Gary probably got me directed at the 'flats' and the 'raised' so there's that. I have the Fats the slims and that one with the flipper thingie on the end and it didn't do anything for me. Back then the Red Tip was probably my fave but that lasted until you couldn't buy the good ones anymore so I switched to about half a dozen single edge thin Schickie things and that lated until I grew a mustache and several years after that I gravitated over to the Bic. Bic's just weren't any fun but they got the chore done. Enough?

So then it was beard for 4 or so months of the year and then shave for a while but damnit, I couldn't find those old Gillette razor that were once the shaves in every ones den. I didn't ever get the hang of a straight razor, it took too much time. Saloons and gals were to be had and not much time for shaving. Git'r dunn.

I agree that probably more are still shaving with the Fatboys & the Slims, I have both but I'm rather fond of the New Improved, News and the Tech series both US and England made, All good. I really didn't mean to high-jack your article here but I'm old and that's what I do. Oh, I forgot... What was it I decided to post in this forum for? G'day gents.

 

Absolutely. You are likely correct about the actual number of Fatboys currently in use relative to the high end boutique razors. The math makes theoretical sense. My statement was more observational commentary about the current state of hype, perhaps mostly well-deserved, surrounding the increased interest in modern production razors over the classics.

I must be out of the loop re current prices on Fatboys. They’d come down to about $50ish last time I looked, but must have gone up again. Hensons go for some $70 new - I guess the market pendulum is always in motion.

 

no $50 fatboys this side of the border,folks think they are gold up here and a good payday.especially canuck ebay sellers.Cheaper ones are usually pretty beat up...slims are still cheaper.the average super 84 or 109 is $40-60 in good shape unless NOS..i still think most folks are still cart shavers.we are a small percentage in comparison.new or used razors sales combined..i doubt henson makes hundreds of thousands of razors either..

 

Nope, no need. I understood your point I was just conversatin’
I think you’re spot on about Chinese invasiveness into the wet shaving market, using price as it’s wedge. I’ve said it before, perhaps not here, but there and there , the market is in the middle of a major shift on many fronts. Hardware , software, it’s all in a state of flux.