Not sure I understand your point as it pertains to this thread, Martin. This thread is to discuss other adjustable options, not to claim these razors are all the same. (I don't think anyone claimed they were.) Yes, I see your mention of sarcasm, but not sure what the sarcasm is directed at.
Here are some tips to polish a bald head. :biggrin: Difficulty: Easy Instructions Things You'll Need Aloe soap Warm water Shaving cream Razor Moisturizer (or strop paste) Thin cotton towel 1. Wash your head with a mixture of warm water and gentle soap. Preferably, with aloe. This will prep the hairs on your head to be shaved. (Note that you should first use electric clippers with no guard to get your hair to the point where it is merely stubble.) 2. Spread a healthy amount of shaving cream over your bald head. Believe it or not, a lot of the "polishing" happens at this stage. Shaving cream is filled with all sorts of soothing additives, which relax your skin as it is shaved. 3. Rinse your head and wipe away any excess hair or cream with a towel. Your head should be clean shaven at this point. 4. Add a facial moisturizer to your head. Spread it liberally and work into your skin until all of the moisturizer has been absorbed. (You could do a two-for here with your strop if you want) 5. Take a thin cotton towel and polish your head the way you would polish the bumper on a car.
Well, as a head shaver myself, Gregindallas has provided excellent instructions on how do get that head looking as smooth as Mr. Clean's!
I have tried a few adjustable's. I still try to use a FatBoy on occasion but mainly due to nostalgia. I have never been able to find the Love for my FatBoys, but I have tried. So if an alternative to a FB is what your looking for, IMHO the SA Long handle is my preference in the Gillette Line. I think the lighter weight of the head keeps it from wanting to dig in especially with the aggression cranked up. The long handle has great balance and is a better fit in my mitts. The SA short handle and the slim to me shave about the same, they get a slight nod ahead of the fatboy but the Long handle SA out shaves them easily IMHO. I've never used a Merkur progress but I do have a Futur. The futur is a good adjustable but I slightly favor the SA over it. If price is not a concern? Well, for me there is one magical adjustable razor. Merkur VISION, it's expensive, it's Big, and it out shaves every D/E I've ever tried (including a slant). It's not only my favorite adjustable, It's my favorite d/e. It is not choosy about blades, from Feathers to Derby's they all seem to shave about the same in a Vision. As for head shaving that was previously brought up in the thread. I have a sensitive noggin. The Vision is my go to, it shaves my head as close as a s/e but with less risk of weepers. It's the Best head shaver I've ever used.
I personally get a slightly smoother shave with a fatboy than a slim, probably due to the head design. That said... The slim is an amazing razor. it was the first DE I ever owned, and it is a really exceptional piece of gear. It always gives great shaves, is very reliable, has a handle that is great, excellent balance and maneuverability, etc. It is, overall, a slightly better razor than the fatboy. The fatboy's head is, as I said, slightly better for me personally, but it can be a little akward at times. The slim is *never* akward, and the mechanics are a little better than the fatboy. I don't have a large collection of minty razors, but the king of my den is a mint slim , complete with original instructions and an equally mint case. it seems eminently appropriate that my best razor is the best designed razor ever made. To be fair, I have little to no experience with the SA ( though I doubt I'd prefer the long handle version of it, since I generally like short handled razors better) So, to sum it up, I think that the slim is a better razor than the fatboy, at least for most people.
I have 2 '62 slims, a '69 short handle super and a '78 long handle super. I like all of them, but shave with the '69 short super the most.
If we're only talking other adjustable options to the Fat Boy I can't really contribute. I've only owned Fat Boys and Slims. I've seen the black handle Gillette adjustables but since I already own adjustables I figure they'll just take up space and the price has never been right, I've bid though. It's like owning both the silver and gold fat handle Techs w/ different baseplates, I feel that one is just taking up space. The Fat Boy is the first vintage razor I bought. I doubt I even use it once a month but the last week I've been using the Slim and Fat Boy just to use them more often and they are both reliable/give good shaves. The Fat Boy looks cool, has a nice heavy weight for cutting through growth, cannot get under my nose and feels like a like a real tool much like a shovel. Every time I use it I think it's a great razor that provides a great shave and that I should be using it more often. The Slim doesn't look that cool, has a good weight, I don't like longer handles, it can get under your nose. The shave is very similar to the Fat Boy. The head design is definitely different than the Fat Boy. The price on Fat Boys is high because it's most likely the first vintage razor people hear about so they must have one/bid. I don't have a favorite razor and own many razors (light/medium/heavy weight). Red Tips and '48 Aristocrats are nice aggressive razors. You don't have to buy the nicest one, as long as the razor works and performs smoothly you are getting a fair taste and can make your mind up from there. Fat Boys in good condition can usually be had for about $30 if you wait around. Slims always go for less. $50 or more for a Fat Boy is what I consider the high end of the market.
I've tried the various Adjustable Gillettes. Honestly I like the weight and feel of a Fatboy and perfer the looks, but I do slightly prefer a slim or short handled Super for the shave quality. It's probably the less bulky head that I like. I've never tried a Merkur Progress, but I am curious about them. Honestly though at the end of the day I don't have much use for an adjustable. All my favorites, and the ones that have a solid place in my collection/rotation are not adjustable, so I might say that a good replacement for the fatboy would be one of my other favorite razors like a Red Tip SS, or a NEW.
still waiting. as for adjustables, I have not used a Fatboy, but I have used a Slim and a Super Adjustable. I got awesome shaves from the slim. Sometimes I wish I hadn't given it away. I think I owned two SAs at one point- a long handled and a short handled. I didn't like the long handled SA. Couldn't get a good shave with it. I don't know why. I don't remember anything about the shaves from the short handled SA, which should mean it was an average shaver. Nothing to write home about. I moved on from adjustables to open comb three piece razors and settled down with two of those. I just added a safety bar three piece to the list, but that's going to be my last razor purchase for a long time. There are a lot of good alternatives to a Fatboy out there- and now you have an excuse to buy more razors!
I have and use three adjustable razors. A preference is almost too close to call. But if I had to, on a scale of 10 I would rate the Apollo Mikron a 10 and the Fat Boy and the Slim tied for 9.5. All three are outstanding!
I've got 3 Fat Boys, several Slims (have lost count) and two SAs. My favorite is the Fat Boy. I love the heft of it and the short handle works for my small hands. I've got a fairly tough beard but find it works great set at 6. For touch-ups, I take it up to 9. So far, I like it best with Feathers but Astras are close behind at a fraction of the cost.The six is great for allowing a quick shave with little risk of cuts or burn. The nine allows me to touch up with zero pressure and few passes, minimizing razor burn, but requires me to go slow. Mild razors like Techs and the DE89l were great to learn on but I hardly use them anymore. Even the Red Tip is too mild (though I just picked up a minty one at a flea market the other day). Just ordered my first modern adjustable, the Futur. Sounded most similar to the Fat Boy.
