Retro is in fashion and there is no better tradition to revive from the past than shaving with a safety razor. I saw a video for the leaf 3 blade shaver and researched and got interested in wet shaving with a safety razor. I saw the name Parker mentioned often. I really wasn't sure how much to spend and what the difference was. What sold me was the brass handle. I loved the look and it is different than most other shavers and I tomes with a second base plate (the thicker one) but I prefer the thinner plate. After using it for over a month and watching numerous videos these are my thoughts: 1. The shave is as good as the Mach 3 or similar cartridge shavers and I enjoy shaving more than I ever have. 2. Most DE razors do a very good job regardless of price. Pick the one that looks good. 3. I think the screw type head is more solid than the butterfly (where you turn the handle on the bottom to open the top to change blades). Also, a blade can easily last from 1 to 4 weeks so at most you would be changing it once a week. 4. All you really need is warm water and soap. I found pure mineral oil and witch hazel are the two best things for shaving and have been used for hundreds of years. 5. Don't over do it: I shave every other day. Even though I have yet to cut myself shaving I did get some razor burn. I backed off and just listen for the sound of the blade cutting the hair - and avoid scraping the skin. Any DE razor blade brand works fine with the Parker. I ordered a 100 pack of Astra blades on amazon and they work great. I also bought the generic version of the Merkur Futur the River Lake RZ700 and I think that shaver is excellent and costs half as much but the Parker is easier to get into tight spots and looks nicer and comes with two base plates and the chrome is very high quality. Also, the knurling on the handle is important when your hands are wet and covered with soap or shaving cream. Read more
Excellent ! Read more
"Moderately Aggressive" is right-on... Me - Wet shaver going on 6 years using all manner of double edged safety razors, cut-throats, and kamisori style shavettes... Comparing this razor to my vintage Gilette super speed (shave prep and blades stayed the same (the ONLY difference is the razor)) this razor is much heavier and less aggressive. After my standard 3 pass shave I had to do more 'polishing' than normal to get that BBS shave. Feels good in the hand and the knurling is great if your hands are wet. Great feedback in the razor and sounds great "popping" off the hairs... Overall pleased with the razor and I'll keep it in my rotation. Read more
I love it! It gives an incredible smooth and efficient shave. As stated in other reviews, the open comb is less efficient as the closed comb. However, the open comb does provide a smooth BBS shave. This razor, although reasonably priced, provided a better shave than most of my top shelf razors! Read more
I had bought this DE razor because my old one was getting old and paint was chipping away (van der Hagen Traditional). I have soft sensitive skin and read this was a mild razor so I took a chance. I started with the open comb attached and it literally destroyed my 2 week beard! Finished my first pass and noticed noticed skin irritation and very minor cuts. For the second pass I decided to attach the closed comb and finish up. The second pass was incredibly mild and pleasant to hear the whiskers cutting smoothly! Both combs didn’t clog and has a decent heft overall. I’ve wet shaved for a decade and I’m glad to have bought this Parker DE razor. It’ll compliment my Parker shavette and will try out another Parker DE. Read more
UPDATE: originally a five star but after using for two months the open comb is not centered and one side shaves far more aggressively than the other. I’m currently using the blades that were supplied I cannot contact Parker about this. Oh well the closed comb seems to be cut square Love this razor. Safety razor shaver for 20+ years. Replaced a 15 YO setup. Open comb shaves nice and close longer handle is nice. Feels good in hand. Excellent knurling for grip. Quality feels top notch Read more
This safety razor is heavy, but it shaves very well as the weight provides a more thorough cut. Read more
I have been using this razor every few days for several months. I really want to like this razor for personal nostalgic reasons. I even purchased an assorted bundle of about 100 blades from various brands in case that the blade brand makes a difference. But after this morning's shaving experience I am compelled to write this review. When I have the time to participate in this shaving ritual I do enjoy it. But do I get the best shave? No, not even close. It may sound sacrilege but I always have to use my trusty Panasonic travel shaver to touch-up my chin and corner of my lips. This morning I had a warm shower, put in a new Gillette Platinum blade and applied a generous coat of shaving cream. Just from the sound I knew that the blade wasn't cutting right. I flipped over the new blade and it didn't change anything. I picked up the very cheap BIC single blade Metal razor and finished the job. I've had better experiences than this morning but I didn't spend the time to investigate why and what made the difference. I thought that this shaving instrument should be the cat's meow. Well, it wasn't. Read more
