Gillette Fat Boy vs Slim versus Super Adjustable - a Poll!

[MaverickPL]

Fatboy is sexier :)

[cma73]

I would lean towards the Fat Boy. I initially purchased a 1967 SA and used it in rotations with my Merkur 34C and my GEM Micromatic (I know..different beasts entirely), and then I came into possession of a 1960 Fat Boy. I found the SA's slim handle to be lacking in weight and was ironically too long. I have huge hands so you'd think, based on others comments, that the slim would be better, but alas it is not the case. I really don't think the shave varies at all with these two and it is really a matter of preference. The Fat Boy just seems to work better for me despite being remarkably similar. Just my $.02. As they say YMMV. Enjoy, they are both great.

[Catfishmac]

Well the age old question. Fatboy or slim? This was a tough one for me as I love both razors. I had to give it to the slim. I really wanted to like the fatboy better because it is so much cooler. The look and feel are far superior. That being said the slim gives me a smoother shave because it is more head heavy so the balance allows the razor to do the work. I do get great shaves with the fatboy and it will always be in my rotation but the slim is my favorite razor. Get both!

[Patrik]

I get great shaves from all three, but my vote goes to the Fatboy, just because I prefer the heft. The Super Adjustable is one of my least-favorite razors; something about it makes shaving feel like a bit of a chore to me.

[WilsonLaidlaw]

With my arthritic hands, I prefer the Super Adjustable's long handle, which also makes it very balanced. In fact if I had to have just one razor for the rest of my life, it would be a Super A. The only downside of them is that I believe they cannot be disassembled for re-plating (unless of course, anyone can tell me differently). I used to have my father's Fatboy but on one of our house moves, it vanished.

Wilson

[The Kiwi]

With my arthritic hands, I prefer the Super Adjustable's long handle, which also makes it very balanced. In fact if I had to have just one razor for the rest of my life, it would be a Super A. The only downside of them is that I believe they cannot be disassembled for re-plating (unless of course, anyone can tell me differently). I used to have my father's Fatboy but on one of our house moves, it vanished.

Wilson

I was given one of the "short" Gillettes (actually, two, but the Aristocrat was so pretty, I just saved it for some future display somewhere, 58 years later), and managed to lose whatever that one was. But while I had it, an SE razor was what I used most often. Eventually, more than ten years into shaving, I bought my first Slim Adjustable, and that "Medium" length became the standard (for me), against which I judged all others.

My own arthritis affects one knee and hip joint more than anything else. My hands are still flexible, although it is now uncomfortable to double up my fists tightly. If I did have one of the later, "Long" Super Adjustables, it managed to disappear or to remain hidden when I unearthed the accidental collection of many razors I've owned. I have one of those now, just recently received, not yet tested.

There were two of the Slims, one of the "regular" medium-length Super Adjustables, and a Good Will, which I am assuming is part of the heirloom assortment that I was given on my 14th birthday. It is the correct age for it to have been my grandfather's backup, if he had missed getting back to the barber for his straights.

Both Slims and the SA I've had longest feel correct to me because of the long association. The texture of the black coating seems better than the plain pattern on the Slims (and it may be the type of knurling that makes my relatively recently purchased Red Tip feel so much better to shave with than any other Gillette "Short" razor). I'm not going to spend what the sellers want for a Fat Boy to reacquaint myself with another Shorty type . .

[IronHammer]

While I certainly love all three types, I admit I am partial to my SA for two reasons. 1) I find the length of the handle works well for me in my hand as opposed to shorter handles, and 2) I absolutely love the look of the gold/black colors on my SA.

That being said, I really love taking my red dot for a spin once in a while. It has a very unique feel and provides a magnificent shave.

[Mike Schutz]

I have both a Slim and a Fat Boy and the Slim is my favorite. It may be because a Slim was my first razor in the 60's. I just feel at home with it much more so than any of my other razors. Familiarity breeds contentment.

[OkieStubble]

Got my '69 SA yesterday and used it this morning.
I think I actually like it more than my Slim.
The balance is nice and the long handle (it's as long as a Lady Gillette) suits me too, as I have large hands with long fingers.
Sadly there's no SA birth razor for me, as I'm older than the SA's.

Aggressiveness seems pretty much the same as my '61 Slim.

Surprisingly the weights are slightly different from those in the wiki: 68 gr for the Slim, 72 gr for the SA, both loaded with feather blades.
Yes my Super is actually 4 gr heavier than my Slim.
I used a Pesola scale which is supposedly accurate (not verified).

Couldn't agree more. I have owned a couple of Fatboys and many Slims that I have picked up cheap in the wild only to PIF or sell them as they just didn't seem to give me the closeness I like without some irritation. Then I purchased a long handled Super Adjustable for the wife to go along with her Blue Lady Gillette. It just clicked for me the first time I used it. I too find it heavier than the Slim. And while I have small hands and don't really need the long handle, I really like being able to shave against the grain going south to north holding the SA at the very end of it's long handle. It gives me the perfect leverage and angle to get that really close against the grain shave.

[noelekal]

I think the Slim I acquired has a minor adjustment glitch. It eats me alive on any setting above the "1" so something must be up as most here claim that there is little difference between the Fatboy and the Slim. The Fatboy kept around here gives a nice shave on any setting though great care must be taken on the more aggressive settings. I haven't tried a Super Adjustable.

[SteveWY]

It ia interesting how close we all view these! I have a '59 Fat and a '63 Slim. I love the heft and "50's" style of the Fat Boy but for usability I give a slight nod to the Slim. I like the slimmer design of the head and longer handle. They both will stay in rotation though!

[CAtailwag1]

Fun to see how the Slim Adjustable is preferred so far. I recently picked one up on the B&B boards and LOVE audible feedback. I can hear the blade slice my whiskers when the angle is correct.
Love my slim adjustable but will always be very attached to my first DE which is a Merkur 34C HD

[WilsonLaidlaw]

Just bought another Super Adjustable for my son's birthday, when I am going to give him a complete DE kit, to wean him off cartridges and aerosol gloop. The SA is the ultimate DE starters razor IMHO.

Wilson

[cwnidog]

I went for the Fat Boy because I prefer it's extra weight. I don't seem to have a problem maneuvering its admittedly large head under my, also admittedly, large nose.

[kmev]

I've never used a Fatboy or Slim, only a Superspeed and Super Adjustable. For me, the SA gives such a perfect shave the only other razor I'm looking for is another SA as a backup.

[miatapaul]

I think it is a toss up between them. I chose FatBoy, but only because it is newer to me. I think I prefer the shorter handle on the FatBoy, as it falls above my pinky, but the longer handle on the slim is still ok. I get great shaves out of both.

[erudolph]

i voted quickly, as soon as i saw the poll, because i love fat boys so much, but after seeing how many people like the slim i thought i'd check to see if i was wrong about my opinion. got out the slim today and shaved with it. the balance is so different from that of a fatboy. the slim with blade weighs 71 grams, the fb with blade 80. i'm sure i could easily become accustomed to the slim, but for the way it feels in the hand, i still prefer the fb shave.

[mistervee123]

Shaving made me want to keep the FatBoy. I like the heft, beefy handle, and the overall shaving experience. This poll has made me want to sell my Slim... and I'm thinking about upping the price a little to boot!