what is 'quarter turn lock' of Gillette adjustable razors?

I have a Gillette Slim which is in decent shape but not a comfortable against the grain shaver. I was googling for similar problems and then found a lot posts where people mentioned this 'quarter turn lock' but couldn't find an explanation on how this is done.

Thanks in advance.

Once the TTO doors have closed, there should be a 1/4 turn of tightening remaining. Don't over turn, but that extra bit will lock everything into place. I recommend loosening the doors to adjust your settings.

Once the TTO doors have closed, there should be a 1/4 turn of tightening remaining. Don't over turn, but that extra bit will lock everything into place. I recommend loosening the doors to adjust your settings.

Sourav, Primo hit the nail on the head. Adjust the setting with the doors open. After the doors are closed on the razor, keep turning. You will feel the knob "lock", that is, it simply won't move anymore.

Does the Super Adjustable also have this feature?

Fatboy has that too - if you're unaware of it you may under tighten out of fear of over tightening but once you understand it becomes pretty intuitive how much it takes to lock it down. Failing to lock it down will result in bad shaves.

Does the Super Adjustable also have this feature?

Yes, it does, Jeff. As Mark has pointed out, so does the Fat Boy. I would imagine the mechanism on each is the same and differences are more handle size/type and cosmetic.

Thanks Freddy!

Here are a before and after cleaning pictures of my disassembled Fatboy - you can see in the first picture (don't know where it went after cleaning) a small spring.  I believe that is part of the lock down mechanism that allows the extra 1/4 turn without damaging any threads.  It keeps the whole adjustment angle mechanism under tension.  Also note how gross the internals of that Fatboy were.  If you're a germ-o-phobe (or even if you're not) and like vintage razors I'd recommend a disassembly and thorough cleaning.  Or stick to three piece razors without internal catacombs

If it's not obvious, your knob may be a little gunked up. Captain Muphy, who is pretty much the expert on Gillette TTOs, suggested using some bar keepers friend. Make sure you get it down into the bottom of the handle and around the knob really well, then work the knob back and forth for a while. Repeat a few times if necessary, and it should loosen things up and get that quarter turn working more smoothly.

If it's not obvious, your knob may be a little gunked up. Captain Muphy, who is pretty much the expert on Gillette TTOs, suggested using some bar keepers friend. Make sure you get it down into the bottom of the handle and around the knob really well, then work the knob back and forth for a while. Repeat a few times if necessary, and it should loosen things up and get that quarter turn working more smoothly.

The Knob itself can be the culprit but often times the assembly process itself is the determining factor if you get the 1/4 turn or not.

The guard is connected to a long tube and this goes into a collet at the top of the handle. Based on this depth, the T bar will either be in the right spot in relation to the Knob or not to allow this 1/4 turn.

The spring has nothing to do with it.


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