Cleaning a Fat Boy

Hi all - I scored a 1960 Fat Boy with the original case this weekend. It's in great shape. It either wasn't used much or the owner(s) took really good care of it. I've been going over all the info on cleaning but there are two things I'd like more info on before I start cleaning.

1. Is there a big difference between Silvo and Flitz? I've read lots of reports where people swear by Silvo, yet Razor Emporium doesn't recommend anything other than Flitz.

2. Is the Flitz tube formulation different from the squeeze bottle? Flitz is harder to find around here and is only available in the tube. I can get Silvo anywhere.

2. Is it ok to put a Fat Boy in the dishwasher? A lot or people recommend this (except for those razors with plastic parts). I just want to make sure the paint in the numbers won't be "washed" away.

Thanks in advance.

Here is a good read on how to clean a Fatboy.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...-Fatboy-Cleanup-Before-and-after-w-commentary

I wouldn't put your Fatboy or any other razor in the dishwasher. That's quite harsh. Even if you do not use any dishwashing detergent (which is very harsh and typically contains abrasives--bad), your razor gets all knocked around in there.

Do check out that wonderful thread that is linked above, but the tl;dr version is to soak it in some hot water and mild dish soap (Dawn or Palmolive) for a while (long while, if needed) and scrub anything off with an old toothbrush or other nylon bristled brush. If you have some particularly tough crud, you can use a brass brush--doing so will not mess up your nickel plating, but it could exacerbate any plating loss that you already have, and it will scrub off paint. If you have or are thinking about getting an ultrasonic bath, that also can do wonders. If you have some truly nasty corrosion or oxidation, you can use some jewelry cleaner, but that will take off paint.

Many metal polishes work well. Flitz gets mentioned a good deal. I tend to use Nevr-Dull (a wadding polish), just because it's easy. Microfiber towels are great for buffing (or showing ).

I agree that it is a bad idea to put your razor in a dishwasher. If you have an ultrasonic cleaner, those do a great job and cleaning your razors, but be mindful that they can also remove the paint from the numbers on the adjustment ring. If it appears to be adjusting and opening/closing smoothly, I would just give it a good soak in some hot tap water and dish soap. Pull it out occasionally and operate the TTO mechanism and the adjustment ring to loosen anything that has soaked free. There are several different options for polishing, but unless there is some bad tarnish, I would just wipe it clean and enjoy it!

Post some before and after pics of it. Always enjoy seeing a rescued Fat Boy! Good luck!

First, pics, or it doesn't exist.
Secondly, I have used FLITZ in tube and now the bottle. The tube is thicker. They both polish up, the same. The bottle is less expensive, because of bulk, and easier to find. I put it on an old toothbrush to get in tight places, then scrub with dish soap to get the FLITZ out.
Hot water and Dawn soaks work about as well as the ultrasonic cleaner, if soaked a long while.

It exists ...

Nice score. Has anyone used Maas?

Nice catch!

tlentz said:

Nice score. Has anyone used Maas?

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I have used MASS before and it seems comparable to Flitz. I prefer the Flitz to the other products.

Yarpy said:

It exists ...

View attachment 573739View attachment 573740View attachment 573741View attachment 573742

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Nice score btw.

Excellent looking Fat Boy Razor. Excellent deal, for you. Thanks for the pic.

That's a good looking razor and a great price. Congrats on your find.

Beautiful razor. Nice score. Here's what I alway do. 1) Put razor in sink 2) Spray with Lysol (will kill any and all germs and will not harm the razor). Leave it in sink 3) After 10 minutes, rinse with water 4) Let it soak in sink with mild dish detergent and hot tap water-not boiling. Time depends on how cruddy 5) brush with soft old tooth brush and the dish soap water 6) Rinse with water 7) To shine it even more, put some toothpaste on brush and shine it up.

Thanks to all for the tips. Here are a few pics of it cleaned up. It really didn't need much work, but it does look better. Going to try it out tomorrow.

Not sure why the first two came in rotated. They're ok in Photoshop.

Nice razor and good cleaning. Enjoy.

That is mighty nice razor. Nice job!