Thread: Opinion

Originally Posted by jbcohen

Finally something that I can say that I know something about. I had one of those at one point, it was ok shaver. Its good as a starter shaver which is what I needed at the time. In my opinion you can get better but is pretty good.

What would you say are the negatives to it, I can't yet see what a major difference would be between them apart from weight and head type.

Looks like a Merkur 3-piece head. Personally, that would be very good as a first DE, with any body though many like the HD for it's weight and balance. Some folks eventually look for something more aggressive. The vintage Gilettes are nice, and fun to try, but I always did have closer effortless shaves with the Merkurs.

Judging by the price and the style of the handle, I'd say that razor is a Parker 91R. I've never used one, so I can't speak from direct experience, but the reviews I have read say it's good razor, similar to but more aggressive than a Merkur. Parker has also been known to have quality control issues, so buying one may be a little more of a craps-shoot than buying a Merkur or a vintage Gillette.

The Parker I own is modelled on the Gillette Improved and it is aggressive enough to be a poor choice for a beginner. If it was me, and I could go the extra few bucks for the Merkur HD, that's what I'd do.

goshawk

I had a look around and the "Merkur hefty long classic - barber pole" razor seems intriguing.

Safety Razors & Blades

I emailed them so I will wait until they respond to make a decision between the two.

I am almost certain that the razor in the original post is a Parker razor (not sure of the model). You can read independent reviews of the razor on Badger & Blade.

Gentlemen,

That does look like a Merkur. If may suggest another razor to our friend: Try an Edwin Jagger 89L. That is one sweet razor, and slightly milder than the Merkur.

Regards,

Obie

Originally Posted by Casulo

I had a look around and the "Merkur hefty long classic - barber pole" razor seems intriguing.

Safety Razors & Blades

I emailed them so I will wait until they respond to make a decision between the two.

If the choice is between the Merkur Barberpole and the Parker I would definitely go with the Barberpole. The 38C is an excellent razor and the ones with the colored handles really look nice. If you end up not liking the Barberpole you can sell it in an instant on the B/S/T of one of the shaving forums. The same is not necessarily true of the Parker.

Originally Posted by BullGoose

If the choice is between the Merkur Barberpole and the Parker I would definitely go with the Barberpole. The 38C is an excellent razor and the ones with the colored handles really look nice. If you end up not liking the Barberpole you can sell it in an instant on the B/S/T of one of the shaving forums. The same is not necessarily true of the Parker.

Thank you, I like the handles too, and they receive such compliments how could I decline. I did e-mail the site and they confirmed it was a Parker razor, I can't understand why they didn't state that in the description.

I think I will go with the Barber pole

Yes that is a 3 piece Parker. It is probably pretty light. Lightness is not always a desirable trai on DE razors, as the lightness of the razor causes you to put more pressure on your face than you should. Others may feel differntly and like a feather-light razor.
Modern Parkers are not exactly known for stellar quality, Merkur, Muhle's and E. Jagger are. All of them make a three piece razor that is quite a bit nicer than the Parker, IMHO.
Another similar but nicer choice woud be one of the older Gillette Tech razors, ( the brass ball end Tech is one of my alltime favorites). It is a well made, well balanced and aestically pleasing bit of funtional razor memorbilia. They can be found regularly in the Badger and Blade, and the Shavemyface selling forums for 15-20.00.
One thing about three piece razors, they do require you to handle the naked blade.
But that should be too scary for you guys.
Sincerely,
Mike