Gillette Fat Boy question

Bobwhite · Post by **Bobwhite** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 7:43 pm

I recently bought Fat Boy on line, and can not see what exactly adjusts when I turn the dial. Should the red indicator move up and down?

Joe

Pauldog · Post by **Pauldog** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 8:25 pm

What changes is the position of a metal plate under the "floor" holding the blade. The plate has four pieces of metal that push upward on the blade, changing its position relative to the guard. You can see what happens by turning the adjustment knob and watching one of the edges of the blade.

Open the doors, remove the blade, and watch those four protrusions move up and down as you turn the adjustment knob back and forth.

Bobwhite · Post by **Bobwhite** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 8:46 pm

Thank you, that did the trick. It just needed some oil, now it works great!

jww · Post by **jww** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 1:09 pm

A '59 Fatboy was my first vintage DE -- and I loved it -- PIFed it to a total newbie, and replaced it a few weeks later with a model with the same date code. Don't use it much these days at all -- but it still has a place of reverence on my shaving shelf.

SRD · Post by **SRD** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 1:27 pm

I have 2 in my small collection of razors. A user grade that is in my rotation and a cased one that has not be used. I like the Fatboy better than the Merkur HD. I generally do not change the adjustment though.

merkri · Post by **merkri** » Sat Jan 08, 2011 6:01 pm

Pauldog wrote:What changes is the position of a metal plate under the "floor" holding the blade. The plate has four pieces of metal that push upward on the blade, changing its position relative to the guard. You can see what happens by turning the adjustment knob and watching one of the edges of the blade.

Open the doors, remove the blade, and watch those four protrusions move up and down as you turn the adjustment knob back and forth.

So does this mean if there's no blade in a Fat Boy you can't see anything change on the head of the razor (looking at it from the outside, with the doors open)?

Pauldog · Post by **Pauldog** » Sat Jan 08, 2011 8:07 pm

You can see the adjuster plate move up and down when you turn the adjustment knob.

LookingGlass · Post by **LookingGlass** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 5:04 pm

This post leads me to ask if one should loosen the TTO/blade before turning the adjuster dial?

I have read posts where one said to loosen the TTO/blade; the other said it is okay to adjust the razor with the TTO/blade closed tight.

Is the an old wives tale and it really does not matter either way?

Thanks,

Ed

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 7:33 pm

It seems that I tried it when tight, and maybe it didn't adjust. So I decided to make it a habit to loosen it before adjusting it. I haven't had any problems since then.

druphus · Post by **druphus** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 7:37 pm

Welcome to the forum Joe!