The Parker 98R Ultra Heavy Weight Long Handle razor is the heaviest razor I've owned. I learnt to shave with my Dad's Gillette Gold Tech back in the sixties. I've been using disposables for years, changing from one to another — the last being a Gillette Mach 3 three-blade. I've never had a really decent shave from any of them. My son mentioned he'd found an old safety razor when helping clean out a house and that he was delighted with the shave he had from it, that blades are a tenth the cost of the "system" razors is even better for him. When I saw this on Amazon, I decided to order it and a box of Personna blades, remembering how well they worked in Dad's Gold Tech. Wow. It almost shaves by itself. It's a lot heavier than the Gold Tech, holds the blade far more securely and feels great in the hand. The extra-long handle (about an inch longer than Dad's old Gold Tech) is a delight, the spiral grooves give a secure grip with wet hands and the mirror-polished finish glides over the skin. Forty-plus year old muscle memory worked just fine, I had a couple of nicks because I'd angled the head incorrectly, a touch of styptic pencil and a splash of after-shave solved that; I'll re-learn the angles quickly. In addition, this is the first shave I've had in years where I managed to trim my sideburns squarely with my eyeglass temples and evenly across. The head/blade trimmed between the halves of my moustache and the remainder of my upper lip effortlessly. I can't recommend the combination of the Parker 98R and Personna blades highly enough. Read more
This is one great razor. I have big hands and love the extra long handle and extra weight of this razor. The chrome plating is beautiful on both the head and handle. In spite of the heavy weight, the razor is well balanced. It is not necessary to put any pressure on the razor while shaving; let the weight of the razor do the work. Some have said they had a difficult time getting a comfortable shave with this razor. I suspect they are using the wrong shave angle. While many razors work well at a 30 degree angle, both the Parker 98R and the 24C open comb seem to work best at around 45 degrees. There is a large gap between the blade and the safety bar on the 98R. If the angle is too low, the bar will just wipe the lather off your face without cutting hair. The tendency then is to increase the pressure of the razor on the face. That is sure to lead to an uncomfortable shave. Just get the angle right and let the weight of the razor work for you. I suggest placing the head of the razor flat against your face and then lower the handle slowly until you begin to feel the blade on your skin. The angle will be close to 45 degrees. With the proper technique, this razor will give a wonderful shave. I used a new Feather blade in the razor the first time I used it..no nicks, no cuts, no errors, but I used the right technique. Read more
This is a nice razor but seemed a little "Handle Heavy". I like razors that are more evenly balanced. Instead of selling it I should have just bought a different handle because the head is the same as the 91r which I love. If you like heavy razors, this is the one for you. Read more
If you are looking for a hefty razor, well you came to the right place, lol. This shaves amazing and fast. The Shark blades are smooth and sharp for my face. It takes me less time to shave with this razor than with my Lord L6. Very few nicks and very low irritation. As my technique gets better, as I am a newbie, then these two things will be minimized. Other reviewers have multiple razors and either use this exclusively now or make it part of their permanent rotation of razors. I would love to see what this does with a Derby blade as this is not too sharp a blade. My other thoughts are that the handle is considered long, but it is not too long. It maneuvers well and balances great with a mid handle or low handle grip. The finish of this razor is great and the blade fits in the head with no adjustment needed. As a newbie I would recommend this razor to other newbies. And a veteran of wet shaving will undoubtedly have this in their razor rotation. Thanks! Read more
Too expensive for what one gets. Also, one must shave with ultra care because it is so easy to cut oneself and not because the shave is closer. The structure of the razor is wrong in some way. Moreover, the changing of blades is not fun. The new Bic razor gives comfortable shaves on a par with the fancier Schick and Gillette razors for much less money. There is no reason to idolize the shaving experience. Get it done quickly, efficiently and inexpensively. Don't buy the Parker 98R Ultra Heavyweight. If you already have, retire it and stop brooding. Read more
Bought this after my old razor fell in the shower (not my doing) and the head sheered at the screw. My old one had a smooth chrome handle-edwin jagger. While I never really felt any problem with slippage, this razor has the machined handle and has great grip and is larger than my previous. My hand is not particulary large but the extra size feels nice in my hand and the weight makes for a good shave. Been using the double edged safety razor for 7 years and like many others have said, wish I had found out about it sooner. Can't comment about the longevity, however I would be shocked if I have any issues. Razor is a beast. Blades that came with it are solid too. Normally use feather or astra stainless, but seems like blade preference varies depending on a lot of factors. Read more
