Fatboy

[Steve M]

Just received my first DE Vintage razor ( Fatboy) and have used it for the first time.
Despite what ive read these are far from an aggresive razor. I had to set it immediatly to 9 just to get a shave as anything less was not cutting hair.
I thought at first that it was my technique and angle letting me down as i use straights as a rule but i also use a Vision and HD Slant on occasion and both are far closer shavers.
I know its early days with this razor but has anyone got any ideas why i cannot get a decent shave with it

[spinyeel]

I can't help you buddy. I have never considered the Fat Boy a good shaver.Over engineered in my opinion.The Slim is much nicer.

[adonnellyr]

I also use a straight on most days, but my only foray into DE shaving thus far has been with the Fatboy. I started shaving with it on 9 almost immediately and also found myself wanting a little more aggression out of it. Still, I cant get a really great shave out of it--just not quite up to the BBS standards set by my straights. I think you might be wise to move to SEs for that style of shaving if you want a variation from your straights (I think I might give them a try soon as well: a Gillette NEW or a Gem). Just a thought!

[Steve M]

Thanks for your help.
When i use my Vision I have to dial it down as the razor is very aggresive even when used to straights
With the Fatboy the angle even when set at 9 is very timid.
Loads of reviews on here regarding people using these on a really low setting, How?

[Viiru]

Heh. I get a BBS shave consistently on a Fatboy set to 3 or so. The mileage does vary a bit... :biggrin:

[beyboo]

Just received my first DE Vintage razor ( Fatboy) and have used it for the first time.
Despite what ive read these are far from an aggresive razor. I had to set it immediatly to 9 just to get a shave as anything less was not cutting hair.
I thought at first that it was my technique and angle letting me down as i use straights as a rule but i also use a Vision and HD Slant on occasion and both are far closer shavers.
I know its early days with this razor but has anyone got any ideas why i cannot get a decent shave with it

I had a fatboy delivered around 2 weeks ago. The last week was spent using it exclusively with a derby in it. So far the best shaves of my life with this razor without nicks. I have dialled it to 6 with amazing results. I could also go ATG without any irritation. Currently THE razor of choice to experiment with other blades.

^Maybe a case of YMMV :biggrin:

[Captain Flint]

Well, I never used a Fatboy but having shaved several times with a Slim I'd say it all depends on the blade you're using. You can take a Feather and shave in any position and you will always get an excellent results. As for the other blades, I guess you must be patient and try different angles and settings...

[Steve M]

I always use Derbys in my Safety Razors and normally with good results.
I will continue to use it this week just in case there is a bit of a learning curb with the Gillette.

[adonnellyr]

The Derbys work fine in my Fatboy, although I find myself REALLY loving the Gillette 7 O'Clock Sharpedge blades. It's possible that over time your Fatboy may have taken a few smalls bumps on the safety razors and pushed them up so that yours is a bit less aggressive than ours. I've heard of that before, but I don't know how likely it is... Especially since I shave on a 9 with mine, so I suspect it's just us being used to straights. I have found that where I'm wanting more aggression with it, primarily on my cheeks, I eliminated that need by resigning myself to a three-pass shave with my DE instead of a two-pass shave with my straight. Still, those SEs are looking mighty tempting...

[Stan]

Those Fat Boys are great looking tools but I get better shaves with a 38c or Super Speeds with Feathers.

[Oldguy]

Those Fat Boys are great looking tools but I get better shaves with a 38c or Super Speeds with Feathers.

I get my best shaves with a Super Speed as well. But the Fatboy set to a 4 or 5 gives me a more then acceptable shave. I find the 38C is less aggressive and prefer any of the Gillette's. YMMV.

Len

[Tom C]

I can't help you buddy. I have never considered the Fat Boy a good shaver.Over engineered in my opinion.The Slim is much nicer.

What's the difference, other than the handle. They're both adjustable TTO Gillettes, right? How is the Fatboy over engineered?

[ctakim]

The head of the Fat Boy is thicker from top to bottom than the slim. I find it has a nice hefty feel, but less maneuverable than the slim or super adjustable.:smile:

[Disburden]

I like the fatboy but I have to use a lot of passes to get a good BBS with it. I since then have become a straight shaver, and I save my DEs for lazy mornings, or when I am in a rush for work with a Feather blade. I find the Gillette NEW open combs are the closet shavers as far as DEs are concerned. I would try maybe a GEM SE and see how you like those, they shave very close like a straight can.

I always find it strange when some of the guys say they like the slim better, I get way better shaves from the fat boy because of the heft to it.

[heirkb]

Hmmm...I get very close to BBS with two passes on a slim at 9. I just cannot go ATG with anything. I may have to give feathers a try, but I've tried many other DE's and blades and nope on the ATG.
Anyways, I don't find the Gillette adjustables to be very aggressive. They're the most aggressive I've tried, but I don't have the same experience as many others. Most think that once you get past 5 or 6, the chance of getting nicks is very high. I rarely get nicked even at 9 (slim and toggle). Except this morning with little cousins running around...

[Tommy C]

I am trying to get a long with my Fat Boy but no luck.
Tried it low (1-3), high (7-9) and received very mediocre results.
I get better results with my Slim, Super Speed, Red Tip and Merkur HD.
I am going to give it another chance this week and if it doesn't work out, I will put him on the block for trade. Too bad because it looks great and mine is in mint condition. :mad3:

[jakespoppy]

I am trying to get a long with my Fat Boy but no luck.
Tried it low (1-3), high (7-9) and received very mediocre results.
I get better results with my Slim, Super Speed, Red Tip and Merkur HD.
I am going to give it another chance this week and if it doesn't work out, I will put him on the block for trade. Too bad because it looks great and mine is in mint condition. :mad3:

I really hope the Fatboy works out for you, because it has such a great look and feel to it. But if you decide to put it up for sale or trade, it will get a lot of interest here. :cool:

[nuovorecord]

It took me awhile to get good shaves with my Fat Boy. Had to play around with different blades at various settings. The combination that seems to work now is a Gillette 7 O'Clock yellow, set at 4 or 5.

[Steve M]

Just had my third shave with it today. The results are better but still needed loads of passes and setting constantly to 9.
This is a totally different animal to my Merkur Vision. The Vision goes from very mild to skin graft mode ( blade at a right angle ).
With the Vision you can hear and feel every hair being cut but the Fatboy is gentle and silent.
On a plus side i have zero irritation from this razor despite the excessive passes.:001_smile

[Laz]

I have a slim and a fatboy. I like the weight and feel of the fatboy much more. Although it took me about a week to get used to the head of the razor. I don't get bad shave with the slim, but was expecting better after reading the reviews. I have also picked up a new and I am enjoying it as well.

[rainman]

Just received my first DE Vintage razor ( Fatboy) and have used it for the first time.
Despite what ive read these are far from an aggresive razor. I had to set it immediatly to 9 just to get a shave as anything less was not cutting hair.
I thought at first that it was my technique and angle letting me down as i use straights as a rule but i also use a Vision and HD Slant on occasion and both are far closer shavers.
I know its early days with this razor but has anyone got any ideas why i cannot get a decent shave with it


I see no mention of placing a blade in it. That could be the problem.:o15: Some people people mention using feathers in razors that are too mild for them and like the combination. A use all Gillette adjustables on 9 as well and also consider them on the mild side. With that being said, I can still get a good shave. Maybe this one isn't for you. I think the fatboy does look great and has good heft but it is also clunky and I prefer prefer the redtip and no notched late 40's aristocrat over it.

[Arthur]

Just got one of my best shaves ever with a Fatboy. Cranked it up to 9 and dropped in a 7'oclock yellow. I'm still pretty noob at all this but I have to say I'm impressed. The first couple of times I used my FB I was afraid to crank it up and found myself doing WAY more passes which actually led to MORE irritation.

I still bled in some spots, but not nearly as much as I have before (I think some of it is due to bumps incurred from previous bad shaves). Did one WTG, 2 XTG, and 1 ATG + some spot passes in various directions. Other than 3 little spots it's pretty damned smooth (wish I could say BBS but those 3 spots would make me a liar.)

[cpshave]

maybe the setting dial is messed up. I have several fatboys and they do shave differently b/t them. Are the gaps even? Get a HD rocket or a red tip if you want that number 9 setting!

[morijinal]

Just received my first DE Vintage razor ( Fatboy) and have used it for the first time.
Despite what ive read these are far from an aggresive razor. I had to set it immediatly to 9 just to get a shave as anything less was not cutting hair.
I thought at first that it was my technique and angle letting me down as i use straights as a rule but i also use a Vision and HD Slant on occasion and both are far closer shavers.
I know its early days with this razor but has anyone got any ideas why i cannot get a decent shave with it

That to me sir, is hard to understand. I have been using the Fatboy for only a few weeks and it is producing shaves superior to my HD. Anything above a '6' feels dangerous to me. A great shave usually consists of a '5' on the first pass, then a '2' on the second. It seems YMMV significantly on this razor!

[ButtGump]

I can't help you buddy. I have never considered the Fat Boy a good shaver.Over engineered in my opinion.The Slim is much nicer.


The head of the Fat Boy is thicker from top to bottom than the slim. I find it has a nice hefty feel, but less maneuverable than the slim or super adjustable.:smile:

Baloney. As others have noted, the Fat Boy has the same engineering as a slim, just different dimensions. Engineering != Specifications. Furthermore the only place that a larger head impacts a shave is under the nose, and while size may impact the ability to fit in certain places it does not affect maneuverability. The mass of a DE razor affects its maneuverability, and the difference between a Fat Boy and a Slim is 0.3 oz, almost all of which will be in the handle, and is a value so small that your gigantic (by comparison) upper arm and torso muscles easily overpower the difference.

Now if you want to argue that there's a gap or angle difference between the adjustables, then that I'll buy.

[ctakim]

ButtGump, have you honestly used the razors? The absolute weight is only slightly different but the distribution with the fatter handle gives a different shaving experience. That and the other subtle differences make for different overall feel when I shave, so I stand by my statement. YMMV, obviously.

[Mojo88]

It could be your Fatboy is underclocked..here is some info from a previous thread..For more info go to search and type in underclocked..Typically a Fatboy at 9 is aggressive

For what it's worth, my fatboys seem to be factory set at the second set of turns of the adjustment knob if that makes sense to you.
Here's what I mean: Try turning the knob down all the way, ie. to 1. Push in the red pin and turn it down past 1 to the next set of turns. When you are at 1 and the blade pretty much is touching the safety bar, and it won't go further down, that's one set of turns too far that way. Turn it to 9 and then past 9 back to 1. That's the factory setting on mine.

[ButtGump]

ButtGump, have you honestly used the razors? The absolute weight is only slightly different but the distribution with the fatter handle gives a different shaving experience. That and the other subtle differences make for different overall feel when I shave, so I stand by my statement. YMMV, obviously.

I have used both, and I also stand by my statements. So here we both stand. :smile:

I didn't say this before but I do think the Fat and the Slim shave differently, but to me it seems because of differences in how they hold the blade. You'll never convince me that a difference of 0.3 oz makes an impact in a person's ability to draw or turn the razor. Can you feel it? Sure. Does it cause a better or worse shave due to the weight and distribution? No, because there are so many other factors that make a huge difference compared to that 0.3 oz. The reason we say "YMMV" is because of differences in skin type, beard type, blade type, cream/soap, user technique, user mindset, etc. All of those will outweigh 0.3 oz. (<- look, ma, a pun!)

[ctakim]

Good points and well articulated, Andrew!:smile: