Gillette Fatboy Adjustable Questions

Ok, so I've finally decided that I should investigate all this Gillette FB adjustable hype. Before I delve the world the fatty, I just had a few questions:

1. How much is it worth? I realize what an opinion based question this is, some people love the FB and would gladly drop $60 on one, but others seem to be underwhelmed by them. I'd just like a good, ball park price range for a used, Gillette FB.

2. How can I make sure to get a good one? By good, I mean one that works. It doesn't have to be in mint condition by any means, I'd just like it to work like it should, with the doors opening and closing well, etc. I'd be perfectly comfortable cleaning it myself (I understand you just boil it for about ten minutes, spritz it with alcohol, scrub with a tooth brush etc.) I've already seen several on ebay, I was just wondering if there were any other sites yall knew about or anything I should watch out for.

3. My mom seems very, very, very....veryveryveryvery skeptical of me buying a used razor from ebay. She seems to think that i'll inevitably get one that a former AIDS patient used, or that I'll contract hepatitis from one or something (I guess being a physician makes you paranoid about these kinds of things). Given the sterilization regimen that I've seen on the forums so far, how likely do you think it is for me to contract any sort of flesh eating disease from a used razor?

Thanks for your advice in advance!

Hello, welcome, there is the Buy/Sell/Trade forum here, better deals, better prices than the Bay, usually. I am a Fat Boy fan amongst many others here. The Fat Boy has some complexity to it, despite being built like a tank they can get jammed up.

Opinions abound about sterilization, but I can't recall hearing of anyone getting sick from a used razor, short boil & alcohol soak will do in all the nasties that might have lived on a chunk of metal for how long .. others will tell you never to boil a razor, but if you get a really cruddy one it won't hurt, as long as it is an all metal razor (caution, sticks are sharp) or I should say it hasn't in my experience hurt to give a short trip in boiling water in a pot you don't want to cook in ,,

Prices vary greatly on evilbay...but some good deal to be had....your best bet on a quality fatty or any razor is right here on the BST....Descriptions are very accurate and the prices are VERY fair. 10 minutes in Barbicide will kill all germs...even AIDS.
I've used a D-3 fatboy executive for over 10 years....a truly wonderful razor!!

Here is a nice package deal on the bst right now!! http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=127910

Rancor16 said:

3. My mom seems very, very, very....veryveryveryvery skeptical of me buying a used razor from ebay. She seems to think that i'll inevitably get one that a former AIDS patient used, or that I'll contract hepatitis from one or something (I guess being a physician makes you paranoid about these kinds of things). Given the sterilization regimen that I've seen on the forums so far, how likely do you think it is for me to contract any sort of flesh eating disease from a used razor?

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Have your mom do some research on the product called Barbicide. There are very few things that can survive a treatment in Barbicide. You can pick up a bottle that will last for years of use for under $10 at your local barber supply/ Sally Beauty.

Here is the Wikipedia article for it:

Barbicide @ Wikipedia

Barbicide is a United States Environmental Protection Agency-approved hospital disinfectant. It is a germicide, pseudomonacide, fungicide, and viricide. In addition, it kills the HIV-1 virus (AIDS virus), Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C.

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If it still has the black paint in the numbers I'd be very hesitant about boiling it, that can't be good. Spray it with scrubbing bubbles or soak it in soapy water and scrub it with a toothbrush. I think the idea that a razor that's been setting in an antique store is crawling with bacteria that can't be killed by some simple cleaning seems a bit overblown.

I love my 1960 Fat Boy because of it's weight and the ability to adjust the blade setting.

HoosierTrooper said:

If it still has the black paint in the numbers I'd be very hesitant about boiling it, that can't be good. Spray it with scrubbing bubbles or soak it in soapy water and scrub it with a toothbrush.

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For Sure!!!

Don't boil a razor that is in top condition and working correctly - there is nothing to be gained and a whole lot to lose!!

I have seen razors crusted with scum and crud that do need a gentle hot water bath (in pan on stove just under boiling - 200 deg) followed by scrubbing bubbles . . . also do that if an adjustable has a "crud bound" adjuster collar or a sticky TTO . . . but those examples are never in top condition anyway!!

Barbicide or Lysol will kill anything that is capable of killing you!

If I were you, I'd just keep my eyes open or post a Want To Buy post on the Buy Sell Trade forum for a decent Fat Boy. Prices on there are much better than on eBay.

Prices for Fat Boys have been going up a lot on eBay recently. Decent ones are going for over $100 lately. Crazy in my opinion.

Do a search for cleaning razors on this site, but if you buy one that's in decent shape, it should be no more involved than taking a toothbrush with Scrubbing Bubbles and maybe a dunk in Barbicide if you're being particularly careful.

Also consider a Gillette Slim - it's a very similar razor, with the same adjustability, but with a slightly thinner and longer handle. They're more affordable than Fat Boys, for whatever reason(s).

It appears to me you're asking about two separate issues:
1) how much to pay for a FB... if you're not in a big hurry and don't mind getting one that isn't beautiful, you might check around local antique/junk shops - I found one for $7.00 that was well-used (somewhat worn and not shiny on the head, but very functional). Otherwise, buy on BST or eBay.
2) Can you get a dread disease from old razors? Probably not... someone said that Barbicide would kill whatever, but honestly it might not kill Hepatitis C. There's some indication that even the 1 to 10 bleach solutions used in hospitals may or may not kill Hepatitis C... seems the jury is still out on this. You do, however, have to keep in mind that these nasty bugs need to stay inside our bodies to stay alive. The Aids virus (HIV) probably can't live outside the human body for more than a few hours at the most, and according to the CDC website, Hep C can't live outside the human body for more than 4 days. When I buy a used razor, I keep it in a dry environment for about a week to make sure nothing is alive on it, then go through one of the sterilization processes that you read about here just to make me feel better.

cpool222 said:

if you're not in a big hurry and don't mind getting one that isn't beautiful, you might check around local antique/junk shops - I found one for $7.00 that was well-used (somewhat worn and not shiny on the head, but very functional). Otherwise, buy on BST or eBay.

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That's similar to what happened with me. After getting into DE shaving last year, and reading about the Fatboy here on B&B, I was really tempted to pay for one from the BST or Evilbay. I ended up holding off on it, and one day got one at a thrift store I regularly check that had the razor in excellent shape, even had perfect paint in the nimbers, with the case and blade pack for $5.

If you really want one, then I'd definitely keep an eye out on the BST and pay for one, the price is worth it for one in good shape, and it's a really nice razor.

As for the cleaning, I just soak in scrubbing bubbles for a few hours, rinse and scrub with toothbrush, then clean well with alcohol. With the alcohol, I'd be careful with the paint in the numbers, if the one you get still has it.

instead of boiling razors, get some barbarcide from a beauty supply store....