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I'm brand new to straight razor shaving but love the feel of my neck after my barber shaves it and would love that for my face. I'm on a strict budget and can't afford a straight razor that needs honed or stropped and I'm wondering if anyone has an opinion about a Parker used with Shark disposable half blades?
Get a real straight on a budget: Whippeddog.com
beginner strop: 20 bucks. You don't need to hone.
Agreed. Go for the WhippedDog sight unseen starter kit. Everything you need to get going in straight shaving at a great price.
I tried a disposable blade razor once, when I looked at my face afterwards I thought I'd been in a fight and lost!
No more for me, I'll stick with a real str8.
+1 on LarryAndro at WhippedDog. His kit has everything you need to start shaving with a str8 razor without dropping a ton of cash and Larry is also a great guy to deal with.
Good luck and much success on your str8 razor shaving journey!
I would certainly recommend AGAINST the parker disposable. I've got one and the craftsmanship on it is terrible.
the scales are flimsy stamped metal with the burrs still on there. not very balanced at all either.
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as for the razor, the ones from whippeddog work just fine :) should get you going for months to come :D
+1 for LarryAndro from WhippedDog.com
I would say; take a little time and study straight razor shaving by reading the forum.
A good cheap razor can be purchased from our "Classified" section.
When I was young (I can still remember) my barber would take a razor to the back of my neck to shape and he would usually use a traditional straight razor to do it. the one time I arrived early and he hadn't any straight prepared he used a cartridge straight and I noticed the difference right away. It didn't feel as sturdy or as comfortable. I don't know if they shave any better or worse, but I can say I didn't like it.
As mentioned, check the classifieds for a refurb. I think you'll be glad you did.
+1 for larry at whippeddog.com. He is a great enabler for straight shaving.
I also have a Parker SRW. You get what you pay for. It is cheaply made, but it works. Its surprisingly heavy, holds the blade very firmly (unlike Dovo shavettes), and the head length is more proportionate to a half de blade length. It makes a great travel razor as you can just pick up a de blade and snap it in half. You do have to be careful of the blade edges as they will sting you if you're not careful.
FWIW, get it if you want it for travel or if you just hate stropping.
Oh yeah, I shaved only twice with a real straight, and I must say it will be a while until I touch that Parker again. :)
Hope that helps.
Sy
There are lots of posts and articles on the topic. You will find it is not so clear cut. People who really want it for the allure of the shave are hands down in favor of the straight razor. But in terms of just finding a more comfortable/affordable/etc. shave compared to the 12-blade cartridge monstrosities of today... they seem to like the disposables just fine.
I jump back and forth, currently thinking I might just buy both to get it over with :D.