Originally Posted by
otherstar
To answer your original question: yes, DE brands shave differently. I've not tried Parkers, but I have a few Merkurs and vintage Gillettes and none of them shave alike. I've also found that the blade you use changes the shave as well. I've used a DE exclusively for the last 3 years and only recently started using straights. I would avoid the medical prep blades myself...I've not heard good things about them. The Merkur blades are OK, but not the best I've ever used. I personally prefer the Astra Superior Platinum, but those are a fairly sharp blade. Derby blades are a good middle of the road blade. There are lots of options and no brand works the same for everyone, the same can be said for the razors themselves.