Why the Fatboy?

Love my Fatboy for many reasons. One being it was the first Vintage razor I ever bought way back about 8yrs ago when I first started doing traditional Wet shaving. throughout the years I've gotten some great shaves out of it. Still have it an since it was in mint condition I had it plated in Rhodium so it's not in my daily rotation but more so in my monthly or what I call my Bi - Monthly rotation. It has a special place in my den and one day will be passed on to my son so a keeper for sure.

I have a soft spot for adjustable Gillettes. I run a D3 Fatboy quite a bit. The knurling is fantastic. The weight and balance are perfect. Yes, the head is bulky but it can be tamed with technique under the nose.

While I have and run much more expensive of its adjustable cousins, the cost/comfort measurement goes to a Fatboy. Hands down.



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Why the fatboy? Because the fatboy is a great razor. It provides terrific shaves, it's built like a tank and it looks great. It's so obviously mechanical that it almost looks like a steampunk design. Like designers of classic Harley-Davidsons, the designer of the fatboy achieved a timeless mechanical aesthetic. The razor is so emblematic of old fashioned American design and quality that it pretty much defines an era of American manufacturing. I could go on but I think you have the picture. No collection is complete without one.

^Give me a break. The design esthetic of the Fatboy simply carried on with that established in 1940 with the Regent Tech and solid bar Aristos. It was innovative in combining an adjustable (which the French and Germans had been using since the 30s) with a TTO (not a Gillette innovation either) into an unnecessarily complicated but pretty package which shaves decently at different adjustment levels but not particularly great at any. I rarely reached for the Fatboy when I owned one. I'm sure your love is real but stop with the everybody has to own one nonsense. People who collect Gillette TTOs should have one for completeness sake but for a lot of folks that isn't a priority.

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Mark, didn't the names Fatboy, Slim, and Black Beauty all come from fans of those Gillette Adjustable razors rather than from Gillette, itself, and aren't they based on an obvious feature on each of them?  I cannot imagine that "male culture" had much to do with it.  For example, I much prefer the Slim to the Fatboy and it has zero to do with the male culture, whatever that may be, but rather with the quality of the shave and, ultimately, isn't that what it should come down to?
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Not actually a Fatboy comment, but: My first DE razor (in 1966) was a brand-new Slim. Glen Conti's very good site on Gillette Adjustables has a picture of a 1965 Slim, marketed by Gillette as a Slim. See pic here:

http://www.gilletteadjustable.com/slim.html

so if the name came from fans, Gillette adopted it pretty quickly.


Tom

I’ve had four of them over the last 25 years and tried to get on with them. I guess they were considered decent or good shavers when released. Unfortunately, there are so many better razors offered these days that give much better shaves imo.

The shaves I got were just average at best.

I just picked one up in very good condition at a very reasonable price, so 'I had no choice' but to pull the trigger. Looking forward to putting it through the rounds, although unless it totally dazzles me, I don't think it will make the final cut (no pun intended lol). I have an Aristocrat and a new SC to keep me happy, plus a Wolfman Guerrilla and now the Colonial General in stainless!

The Fat Boy was one of the first razors I bought new. At that time, as best I recall it was called Gillette Adjustable. That razor was only made for a few years - until the Slim was introduced.

As a new wet shaver I picked one up, used it twice and promptly sold it lol. Don’t see the fascination with adjustables honestly

Gillette one piece razors, including all of the adjustable are mechanical wonders. Very tight tolerances, Exceptional machining, great durable materials, and just plain fun to look at. Plus they shave very well. All the hype over screw together 3 and 2 piece razors is silly. Low tech IMHO. The Fat Boy shaves as good as any razor out there for sale today or available in yesteryear! To pay $300 for a 3 piece razor made of stainless whatever is as silly as buying a Rolex watch that does the same as a Timex indigo only the Rolex can't be viewed at night like the Timex Indigo watch! Some people just go for the flavor of the month and go for the "Look At ME!!! Look At ME" factor. OK they can do that whether they can afford it or not , but Those same people would probably buy a silver or gold plated toilet for the wow factor and the hope of impressing others?. Sadly my friends we hardly ever get what we pay for. With a fat boy, back in the day and today, we actually do. After all they have already lasted 50+ years! That's IMHO!! Take it or leave it as you may!!!