Contemplating a new razor

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Idlefellow

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Feb 24, 2009
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Thinking of acquiring a Fat Boy. Anyone have experience with buying one used? Any tips, warnings etc. appreciated. There are many for sale on the bay; wondering I should try to find one with condition, or just go ahead and spring for a completely reconditioned one from the get-go?
 
I've used a 1962 Gillette Fat Boy for eons. A fully reconditioned one shouldn't set you back a great deal! Even a slightly "dirty" one is easy to clean up. Pair it with a good DE blade (I'm partial to Wilkinson Sword) and get ready for a great shave. If you need a blade source, I recommend "West Coast Shaving." Huge selection of wet shaving supplies plus good pricing! FTRPLT
 
I have been using an old like 1920s Gillette I got at an antique store over a decade ago. Paid like 5 bucks for it, has been serving me perfectly for years
 
The bay is such a crap shoot anymore. Around $50-75 for an "as-is-take-yer-chances" or up to $200 for a refurbed one, and everything in between. A brand new one is listed at $295.
 
I've owned a Fat Boy. I sold it. I've picked up a lot of old Gillettes at garage and estate sales for very cheap. I could have gotten a lemon, but the Fat Boy is the only one I've sold. I liked the look and hand feel of it more than any other, but alas, it was not a good shaver (for me). I regularly use a standard adjustable, a red tip, two TTOs, and a New Long Comb. I can provide dates if necessary, but I'm not near them at the moment. The best Gillettes I've used are the standard adjustable and the Red Tip. I always recommend new wet DE shavers to start with a used standard adjustable. They're cheap, readily found, and something you can continue to use. You aren't going to use one and then grow out of it, which I can't say for some of the more commonly recommended starter razors.

I wish Rockwell quality hadn't dropped, because for every level of experienced DE shaver, that's what I'd like to recommend: the 6S. You can still get a good one, but there are a lot more complaints these days than in the past. While I haven't owned many new razors, my Rockwell 6S (from back when they were sold in a tin) is easily the best razor I own and have used. They look really clunky, but in all that metal mass, that's why they stumbled upon an incredibly smooth and forgiving design. The safety bar is substantial and gives the razor a smoothness I haven't found elsewhere.
 
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