Parker A1R TRAVEL SAFETY RAZOR - Compact 4-Piece Double Edge Safety Razor with Protective Leather Case - Ideal

If you are looking for a travel DE razor you can’t beat this quality piece. The entire DE is made from Brass & then chromed. Made in India but truly somebody at Parker cares about quality. This is no junk die cast zinc that once the chrome has eroded away is essentially toast. This will last for years. Very pleased. Shaving is a personal thang. I have a soft hair & sensitive skin. And this razor gets it done on the road. Albeit I have a bunch of expensive safety razors, this one does make me smile. Parker knocked it out of the park. Read more

For some time I’ve been searching for a a great travel razor. I’ve been wet shaving since middle school and that was the early 80s so I’m a bit picky about my razors now days. My normal rotation is a Muhle “Grande r41”, Jagger de89 and Merkur 34c. From time to time I like to work in a vintage Gillette too. No way will this replace any of them as a daily but it’s damn good and perfect for travel. The case is small the components fit inside perfectly. One could tuck a blade or two inside it they liked. The razor is easy to assemble. It’s weighted very nicely and top heavy. Every thing about this little guy is exactly as described. As far as the really important part, game time performance, the little guy got the job done. I prefer a milder blade because I shave every day. I tried this little guy yesterday afternoon and again this morning with what I have in my dopp bag: Shark Super Stainless blades (cheap yet smooth so I don’t mind using it once or twice then throwing it out), Trumper cream and Arco soap (used once each), Trumper Skin Food and an old Burma Shave brush I’ve had since I was about 13. The razor delivered 2 flawless 3 pass shaves with the normal polishing at the end of the shave. I really can say enough good things about this little razor. It’s well built, tight fitting and smooth. It should last for a long time and it packs nicely. If your looking for a good travel razor this is it. I’ve never owned a Parker razor before or even given them much thought but if they are all as good as this one that might change. Every thing here is exactly as in the product description so I’m not sure what’s up with the negativity in some of the reviews. Read more

I ordered BEFORE reading reviews. After reading them, I was sure I'd made a big mistake. The biggest problems seemed to be that it was an AGGRESSIVE razor, not a mild one. There is no room for carrying blades. The leather is brown, not black (just like the description said; really... do people not READ descriptions, just slam products for their own failure to read?) Those seemed to be the three biggest gripes. When it arrived I opened it up with much trepidation, sure I wouldn't like it. I was braced for the worst, but this razor was GREAT! The leather pouch is much higher quality than expected, and was a beautiful "old school" brown. Inside were the razor parts; the head was individually wrapped to keep it pretty during shipment. There were some spots on the razor cap (oil or waxy stuff for shipping, I'm sure) that wiped right off with my thumb. The razor assembled like a quality instrument, and everything aligned properly, with no evidence of misalignment or sloppy fitment. Inside the pouch were dividers to separate the parts when stowed. There was PLENTY of room to add a few wrapped blades. After assembling the razor, I dropped in a "medium aggressiveness" blade (Wilkinson Sword, India), and gave it a test shave. After reading about how incredibly AGGRESSIVE it was, I was sure I was going to cut myself to pieces, perhaps mortally wounding myself trying to tame this feral, savage razor! Nope. It was a pussycat. Half of the handle is solid metal, and half of it is hollow. This gives it a head-heavy balance, which I found to be perfect for this razor (letting the razor do the work, rather than applying pressure that'll cause cuts and nicks). It felt and sounded just like my Gillette Super-Speed or my vintage Gillette Tech (both of which are known as "mild" razors). I cannot fathom how so many reviews could be so incredibly misleading... or flat-out wrong! Use a mild blade (Derby, Lord, Personna Red, Astra), you'll get a mild shave; use an aggressive blade (Feather, Gillette Platinum, Kai), you'll get an aggressive shave. If you are new to DE shaving, try different blades to get the shave you want (if you're NOT new to DE shaving, then I'm preaching to the choir). There is PLENTY of room to pack enough blades for an extended trip or vacation. The rich brown leather pouch adds class and panache. Tossing this, a small travel brush, and a tube of Proraso cream into my travel kit, and I'm ready to go! (I prefer travel size boar brush and cream for face lathering on the road, full-size badger brush and soap for bowl lathering at home.) Due to the size and weight of the handle, I totally forgot I was using a travel razor as I shaved! It feels (and looks) like a full-size DE razor. I can see how this could be mistaken for (and used as a) daily razor, not just for travel. Would I trade my Rockwell 6S for this razor? Not a chance. But this isn't a $100 razor, either! If my luggage goes to Katmandu, I'm only out $30. It's a well-made little kit, a reasonable price, gives a GREAT shave... and it's cool. Read more

The case is genuine thick leather with the ends coated or finished and is unlikely to wear. Leather divider inside, and well made snap closure are top notch. The handle is hollow, and made of chromed brass with threading to join all 4 pieces of the razor together. Though the knurling is very good, making for a good grip when shaving, I personally feel it could have used a slightly heavier chrome layer. The handle is well made, fits firmly, and stays secure throughout the shave. I believe the head is Zinc or ZMAC, but the heavy chroming over it make it extremely unlikely ever expose the base metal to corrosion. The head is heavy, and the handle is hollow making it a tad head heavy. So the head to handle balance is totally weighted toward the shaving head. This is good for people with coarser hair to shave, but can make shaving a little awkward until you have used it a few times. I would say the shaving head is Medium to light aggressiveness depending on the blade you use. Paired with a heavier handle if is a very good shaver. After a few weeks of shaving I swapped the Parker shaving head that came with it for a slimmer, lighter RazoRock CNC Stainless shaving head. It fits perfectly, and provides a lighter balance at the shaving head end. Paired with the RazoRock shaving head, this is my permanent travel shaving set. I put the Parker head on one of my spare heavier stainless steel handles, and it too is now a better balanced shaving razor. It now resides in the bathroom. Giving me two great quality razors. Read more