Thanks for the review and info dodgyHiya,
The Fatboy was my go to razor for many years, but now rarely used because of this frankenrazor. Yeah, this weird combo is the ONE and something I don't see being replaced. Took a lot of years to finally reach this point but man, it does the trick! Been shaving with this exclusively for the last 6 months.
It's a Stahly head stuck onna beautiful UFO handle that Juan made years ago. Plenty heavy combo that requires no pressure with a very mild shiny chrome head that tames even the sharpest blade but is still extremely efficient and smooth results. This combo is fine for even shaving sensitive neck crop circles with no problems.
These heads aren't expensive and work great on various handles. Worth looking into for sure.
You could be on the money.Not read anything official about that. Just my own observation. That Aristocrat also works really well for me albeit without adjustability. It has that more domed head which the later Slim and Super Adjustable did away with. Those razors don't work so well for me for that reason, and I dislike the longer, thinner handle too!
According to a quick Google it looks like the US Aristocrats until 1951 had a blade gap of 0.23" (after which it increased). The standard Fatboy on setting 5 is 0.25" (setting 4 is 0.19" and setting 6 is 0.3").You could be on the money.
A lot of times designers of products and I'm sure it includes razors
take their inspiration from earlier models
With the Aristocrat what is the setting number on the fatboy with the same blade to
get a similar shave?
Cheers
Umm They may be basing it on that one onlyInterestingly that source shows the blade gap on the standard Fatboy does not increment by an equal distance for each setting.
Fantastic review Garry357Razor Review #2
Nostalgia - Vintage Gillette British Rocket HD 500
- Gillette British Rocket HD
- Date of Manufacture No date code – c1950”s
- Country of Manufacture England - UK
- Weight 71 gm
- Mechanism TTO
- Metal Brass/Copper – Nickel plated
- Legend BRIT PAT 694093 - Gillette Made in England
- Aggression Medium
- Size 84mm x 43mm
The British Rocket HD is a mid-aggression TTO.
Often referred as the Double Ring / #59 or 500.
Sometimes the Rocket is confused with the Gillette Parat.
Very similar visually, the weights are more noticeable.
The head is almost identical to my Gillette British FlareTip.
- Gillette Parat 61g
- Gillette Rocket 63g
- Gillette Rocket HD 71 g
I picked this razor up a few years ago, I’m not a collector so only pickup something if I will use it and it’s a reasonable price. I paid $25 Aus.
This Rocket cleaned up easily and I gave it a light polish. The shave from my Rocket is very smooth. We don’t see many of these razors, I think the more hyped FlareTip / Slim / FatBoy keep these under the radar.
If you enjoy Vintage TTO shaves, and you see an opportunity to buy at a good price, I suggest you pick one up.
The Gillette build quality really does ensure these razors will be around long after us. For the next generations to enjoy.
View attachment 124486
I agree with that mate. Some of the handles they stick on razor heads these days getting a bit weird. There must be some people with very big hands.Thanks to you I can confirm that head is very good. Perhaps a little too efficient for me (I like something forgiving especially if I a shaving moments after waking up). It's still in my arsenal but doesnt get regular use. Nice as a change-of-pace razor every now and then.
I don't use the huge vibrating sex toy handle, though. A simple bulldog handle from a cheap no-name razor does the job nicely.
Do you have any photos of you razors, interested to see the Ever Ready Pat 1912.My all-time favourite razor and the one I use the most is the vintage Ever Ready Pat. 1912 which uses SE Gem blades (Gem by Personna from Connaught). It's just so easy to use and gives a very smooth efficient shave. Put the head flat against the skin and shave, It's that simple. They are sometimes sold at excessive prices - right now there is one on Etsy for £85 - but one in reasonable condition is likely to be in the region of £15 - £20 on ebay, I've found that there is nearly always a tiny smudge just below the hole for the spring in the head but it doesn't affect the quality of the shave. I easily get 8 shaves per blade and with a dispenser of 10 blades for £2.88p is a steal.
My other favourite is the vintage Gillette Tech No. 24. With the aluminium handle and aluminium bottom plate it is perhaps too small and light for some people. Excellent shave for which the Gillette Tech is renowned. For me it works best with Gillette Platinum or Dorco Titan blades. Around £20.
Lastly, the Baili BD/BR 176 which is a Gillette Tech clone. For me just a bit more agressive thsn the Tech and again for me works best with Gillette Platinum or Dorco Titan blades. Around £10 on Amazon UK.
We should consider whether the Gillette Platinum blade is Gillette's default blade and whether the Dorco Titan blade is an accurate copy of it. For me both are equivalent in shave quality.
Great review Garry357 and your pic really sets the tone of a bygone eraRazor Review #3
Nostalgia - Vintage Gillette 195 Adjustable – (FatBoy)
- Gillette 195 Adjustable
- Date of Manufacture G1 1961 1st ¼
- Country of Manufacture USA
- Weight 79gm
- Mechanism TTO
- Metal Brass/Copper – Nickel plated
- Legend Base Plate Made in USA – REG US PAT OFF – GI
- Legend Internal PAT NOS. ON PKG
- Aggression Adjustable
- Size 87mm x mm
Gillette 195 Adjustable TTO.
These were manufactured between 1958 – 1962. My personal razor is the 1961 model.
The original retail price was $1.95, and this is likely where the 195 name comes from.
More commonly known as the FatBoy and one of the most recognized and sort after razors.
I would assume most Heritage Vintage razor enthusiasts own or are in search of a Gillette 195 Adjustable FatBoy.
Unfortunately, as the popularity grows so do the prices, I have owned this razor a few months however I was on the look for a long while waiting for a decent price.
I paid less than $10.00 Aus so I did get a good buy.
The razor did have a little handle drop, which is not uncommon for these and other models. It’s easy to fix handle drop and re-crimp the securing ring, taking care not to mark the handle knurling.
The FatBoy is also very easy to dismantle, making this a good candidate for replating and cleaning.
The razor has nine settings to achieve your personal shaving comfort. Setting 1 to 9, with 1 being the mildest and 9 the heaviest.
My setting is 5-6. 5 as a daily and 6 if I have 48 hr growth.
The Gillette quality again shines through with this model.
Originally variations
The head of the FatBoy is slightly prouder than the Adjustable Slim, this does make shaving the moustache area easier, however I would never now be without this iconic razor.
- Standard
- Standard - Bottom Dial
- Standard - Red Dot
- Executive 22 Carat Gold Plated original price $5.00
- The executive did have different knurling to the original standard.
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I you have time, please write about your razors, and what they mean to you.
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