Progress vs. Fatboy?

[monolith]

Hey all.

I'm relatively new to the wet shaving game and new here. So far I have a Merkur Classic (with Merkur blades, soon to be replaced with Feathers and/or Personnas), a Kent BK4 (found for a good price locally), an Omega boar hair brush (the first brush I had), and some Proraso. I have a bunch of cream and soap samples coming, too.

Now I'm looking at another razor or two, and in particular I'm looking to get an adjustable. The Merkkur Progress and Gillette Fatboy are the frontrunners in my consideratons, as the other Merkur adjustables are too expensive and seem quite unwieldy.

So, anyone have a strong preference for one of the two, or any advice on their quirks? The Progress' smooth handle seems like it might be a problem, plus there's the coolness of owning a Fatboy, I suppose, but I'd like to hear some opinions or get some recommendations from those who've owned/used both.

Thanks.

[cooncatbob]

Hey all.

I'm relatively new to the wet shaving game and new here. So far I have a Merkur Classic (with Merkur blades, soon to be replaced with Feathers and/or Personnas), a Kent BK4 (found for a good price locally), an Omega boar hair brush (the first brush I had), and some Proraso. I have a bunch of cream and soap samples coming, too.

Now I'm looking at another razor or two, and in particular I'm looking to get an adjustable. The Merkkur Progress and Gillette Fatboy are the frontrunners in my consideratons, as the other Merkur adjustables are too expensive and seem quite unwieldy.

So, anyone have a strong preference for one of the two, or any advice on their quirks? The Progress' smooth handle seems like it might be a problem, plus there's the coolness of owning a Fatboy, I suppose, but I'd like to hear some opinions or get some recommendations from those who've owned/used both.

Thanks.

To tell you the truth you can't go wrong with either.
They are almost exactly the same size and weight.
While the Progresses smooth handle has never been a problem for me the knurling on the Fatboy makes for a superior.
They both work well with a variety of blades because they are adjustable.
This isn't true of many razors.
There are post concerning uneven blade exposure of the current Progresses.
Neither of my older Progresses have this problem.
To me they are as equal as 2 razor can be.

[ctakim]

Try vintage first, that is what I did after starting on a Merkur HD, too!

[Mojo88]

I have them both and they are great razors. I honestly think that a progress is more user friendly for the new wet shaver. You can't go wrong with either one.

[Bushranger]

Do not overlook the Slim Adjustable.

[monolith]

Do not overlook the Slim Adjustable.

Indeed. I've seen mention of them here. Are there advantages to these over either of the two I'm considering currently?

[19Delta]

Honestly, Merkurs to me shave a lot better. Gillette's razors are overall though, a hell of a lot cooler. I myself own a Futur, '62 Slim Adjustable and soon a Red Tip. The Futur shaves a lot better, the Gillettes shave great too, but they dont compare to the aggressiveness of a Merkur. I love 'em all though.

[Peppery John]

Do not overlook the Slim Adjustable.

Yes don't forget this one.
Out of the three razors there's not much between them. Out of the three I prefer the slim because it feels the most comfortable in the hand and you can get under nose with it better than with the Fatboy.
The Mergress is the least used of my adjustables, not that I use any of them much now, however, all will give great shaves.
My advice would be to stay with Gillette adjustables, there are some great buys to be had on B/S/T.

[Fnord5]

I find that the Slim is a bit more aggressive than the Fatboy.
A 1-2 on the slim is like a 3-4 on the Fatboy.


I have recently found my groove, and do not mind an aggressive razor, and may try the slim out again.
The Fatboy just feels right in my hands though.

[Viiru]

Do not overlook the Slim Adjustable.

Indeed. I've seen mention of them here. Are there advantages to these over either of the two I'm considering currently?

My first vintage razor was a Slim, but I never really liked it much. I got my Fatboy about a month ago, and have been using it for almoust every shave since.

I don't have a Progress so I can't compare to one of those, but from the Gillette adjustables I definitely prefer the Fatboy.

[ScYcS]

Throwing another one in the mix:

The Gillette Super Adjustable with the black handle. It's my go-to razor. Perfect balance and great performance for me.