thayers! and DE question

S

SunsetFisherman

Joined
Feb 4, 2012
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WOW! thayers witch hazel aftershave, used it for the first time yesterday to shave off a 2 week beard. Usually if I haven't shaved in a while I look like...well that I lost a fight with a razor haha. But my face is clear and smooth and best of all that stuff is cheap :thumbup:

So I have a Gillette fatboy on its way me, I shave with a straight so the DE will be a new experience but hopefully not too much of a learning curve since I already use a straight. How would you guys recommend trying out my fatboy for the first time? I understand it's adjustable so I'm leaning towards a super mild first shave, then adjust based on results from there. I've got blades in 5 packs I believe of derby extra, astra superior platinum, lord super stainless, feather yellow, and shark super chrome. I will stick with one type till I use them up to get a good feeling for the blades, what do you think I should try first?
 
I would say start in the 3-4 range. It should be fairly mild at that point, but give you room to drop down if needed, and lots of room to get more aggressive when wanted.

Its the witch hazel that does so good to smooth out your face, some people that don't like scents just use a bit of rubbing alcohol and witch hazel.
 
You'll love the Fatboy! I use 5 or 6 for WTG, 5 for XTG and 2 for my final ATG and touch-ups. For blades, I'd recommend Gillette 7 O'clock Platinums or Astras for blades. They're sharp and very, very smooth.

I use a DE as my daily driver, and any of 3 or 4 straights for when I want to enjoy my shaves even more! I started with straights, strangely enough, and I just enjoyed the DE so much that I now use it just as often, if not more than my straights I love so much.

By the way, watch out for those Feathers. People love them, but I find them to be grabby and just too harsh.
 
I'd set the FB at 3 for your first shave. I now use mine at 4 and get a very close smooth shave. There was a time I thought I needed to open up the razors to get a close shave and that just isn't the case. Heck with some thought and work I can get a close shave with just about anything. As for blades I'd suggest useing the Astra and feathers last because you'll probably not want to use any of the others once you try them. I was very happy with blades I could get locally until i tried some of the better blades. Thank goodness they are cheaper to get over the net in bulk than buying locally. Because I'm cheap :)
 
When I got my first Fatboy Gillette I dialed it in at 3 and got a terrible shave. I was used to an Edwin Jagger and figured that I'd give the FB another shot. Dialed it up to 5.....terrible shave.

I cranked it up to 7 and things got a lot better. Now, I start off with 8 and finish up my final pass with a 9 using Feathers. I don't have a thick beard but it must be tough as wires. I get a very smooth, comfortable shave with the Gillette dialed up all the way.

Start out light and find what works best for you. Don't be afraid to crank it up if you aren't seeing the results you expect. I never thought in my wildest dreams I'd be using a FB set on 9 with my face but it is literally the best my shaves and skin have ever been.

And Thayers, yeah, love that stuff. I find the Cucumber scent is the best for me.
 
lwt210 said:
When I got my first Fatboy Gillette I dialed it in at 3 and got a terrible shave. I was used to an Edwin Jagger and figured that I'd give the FB another shot. Dialed it up to 5.....terrible shave.

I cranked it up to 7 and things got a lot better. Now, I start off with 8 and finish up my final pass with a 9 using Feathers. I don't have a thick beard but it must be tough as wires. I get a very smooth, comfortable shave with the Gillette dialed up all the way.

Start out light and find what works best for you. Don't be afraid to crank it up if you aren't seeing the results you expect. I never thought in my wildest dreams I'd be using a FB set on 9 with my face but it is literally the best my shaves and skin have ever been.

And Thayers, yeah, love that stuff. I find the Cucumber scent is the best for me.
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When you say terrible do you mean not close enough? If so check to see if the dial hadn't been turned down past 1. I know that my Slim on 4 shaved about the same as my EJ89L.
 
unky_gumbi said:
When you say terrible do you mean not close enough? If so check to see if the dial hadn't been turned down past 1. I know that my Slim on 4 shaved about the same as my EJ89L.
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See, that is what I had read about every FB when compared to an EJ. But I have several FB razors and they are all the same: I can't achieve DFS or BBS without a setting over 7.....combined with a Feather.

My Slims, on the other hand, are too aggressive at such a setting and I get good results with a 5 or 6 setting.

Probably more in the blade combo, the angle, or the pressure (or lack thereof) but either way, a FB on 8 and 9 is perfect for me.
 
I'd say that is about right. I put my FB at 4 to be about the same as my slim at 3. I'd guess that it is more how you hold them than anything that you need them opened up, to get a close shave.
 
Thought I'd update this, I've been really enjoying the DE! shaves like butter and I like that it's quick, have it set on 4 with a derby blade and am getting a very close shave with usually 2 passes.
 
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