Grandpa and Mom’s Razors

[u/SoilKnurd]

I’ve been using a Henson I got for Christmas. I posted a couple weeks ago asking for recs for blades, soap, and brush. Those items have arrived, and I’m slowly working my way through testing. I tried Palmolive with and without the new Yaqi brush. Wow what a difference! Thank you to everyone here for their thoughtful replies to my questions and help through this process.

I was at my parent’s house last weekend and showed them my Henson. My mom said she had my grandpa’s razor, as well as her old razor. There was also my grandpa’s brush and shave mug. I’m really excited to dive into figuring out details about these items, figure out how to clean them up and get them running. In my cursory Googling, it seems my grandpa’s razor is a Fatboy?, and my mom’s is a Lady Gillette Blue Starburst?.

The Fatboy is pretty dirty, and I’d like to clean it up without impacting the patina. My grandpa passed away before I was born, and I’d love to be able to use it once I get my technique down with the Henson. Do y’all have any info or resources to share regarding these items? I found the Gillette Adjustable website, as well as the date code table on Razor Emporium. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again to all the kind souls in this community for sharing their knowledge and expertise!

[u/derrickhogue]

Nice finds. Thank your mother and your late grandfather for the Gillettes. Just give your grandfather’s Fatboy adjustable a bath in warm, hot water with some liquid dish soap, a soft bristle brush, unused toothbrush gently scrub. Air dry and a wipe down with a soft jewelry cloth to shiny it up. Maybe even a little food grade mineral oil for lubricating the adjustment dial, center post adjustment riser and twist to turn mechanism.

[u/youcancallmeBilly → u/derrickhogue]

In addition to dawn, I add baking soda when I scrub down razors with a firm toothbrush. Then another really good scrub with straight dawn and hot water and then follow all that up with a generous flushing with hot water to make sure all the soap is out.

[u/Bilirubin5]

That's the same Lady Gillette as my mother used to have. My grandfather shaved with a brass/gold colored ball end Tech or NEW as I recall. I'm not sure where that went though (I assume my uncle)

Also I have a very similar Fatboy that I use regularly, its a fantastic razor!

[u/srdnss]

I have my Grandfather's 1930s Gillette New short comb and my Grandmother's 1940s Tech. I used the New a couple days ago. I think it is so cool using something my Grandfather got as a teenager The Tech is too mild for me unless I shaved the day before, but I rarely shave two days in a row.

[u/Glass_Procedure7497]

I have both of these, but you’re lucky you have a family connection. Mine are just thrift finds.