Parker 22R - Long Handle Butterfly Open Double Edge Safety Razor & 10 Shark Super Chrome Blades
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List Price: Our Price: $28.77 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: Health Care See more product details |
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Customer Reviews of Parker 22R - Long Handle Butterfly Open Double Edge Safety Razor & 10 Shark Super Chrome Blades
Customer Review: Good shave, slippery handle
Summary: 4 Stars
First, the grip. This razor is SMOOTH metal. That is good for keeping it clean but not for holding onto it with wet hands while shaving. You simply can't grip smooth metal with wet hands -- making it hard to get an accurate shave without gripping the handle in an odd way.
Second, build quality. Since this is a solid metal razor, it has a nice heft to it. The weight feels perfect. I couldn't imagine damaging the handle in a million years. The butterfly razor head is another story.
On my first razor, the hinge that held the butterfly bent itself outward and was a pain to reassemble, tighten while holding the hinge inward, and hope it didn't pop out when shaving--leaving the blade at an odd angle. After I posted this review, the seller promptly contacted me regarding the issue and informed me of the one year warranty. They quickly sent out a new razor (the same kind) and it was immediately apparent that they had fixed the issue causing the defect. The butterfly head metal is at least twice as thick. I don't see this one bending as the old one did.
Third, the shave. This razor highly depends on the type of double-sided razor blade you put into it. Whatever you choose, it gets the angle perfect when torqued all the way down. The weight lets you rest it on your face and pull easily. I have shaved with this razor for a while now, so I have gotten to the point where I can detail most of my beard. This took a while to learn because you can't exactly see where the razor edge is hitting, and have to learn it by trial and error.
Overall I would recommend taking a close look at the handle before you decide on which razor to purchase. This one has a smooth handle that is hard for me to solidly grip with wet hands when compared to a Mach 3 or Fusion handle with nice rubber inlay. I can deal with that for the money saved in replacement blades.
Customer Review: A Jim Dandy of Safety Razor now even Better!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a dandy razor.
First of all it is well made. It rivals the Gillette razors of the 1950's -- especially since Parker redesigned the head in the spring of 09. I have Parkers with the old head and the new improved head. The new head is simply wonderful. The door alignment, razor blade alignment, blade exposure and blade angle are first rate with this model. (I have the older model head as well that I purchase a year back and while I like that head, it really can't compare to the improved head that is now on this razor). I purchased this razor to have a spare and was pleasantly shocked with the major improvements.
Second, the weight is great. Parker has beefed up the weight of the handle. It is now heavier than the 22R of a year ago as well. Frankly, I'm not sure why Parker isn't advertising all these changes they made. They should be proud. In short, the Parker 22 of today is not the same razor as the Parker 22 of a year ago -- it is much improved.
I believe this razor may be the best TTO design ever. It certainly might be the most beautiful, but with the great quality as well, it is wonderful.
Now, onto the shave. The Shark blades are great. I also like the Israelis, Derbys and Sharps. The Sharks are probably the longest lasting of the bunch. They are very smooth. The shave is smooth, comfortable and easy. What I really like is that even if I don't shave for days, the razor cuts the hairs like a knife going through warm butter. No pull, no irritation. This razor cuts, it does not pull!
Congratulation to Parker on taking a really good product and improving it be really GREAT. If you are contemplating purchasing this razor, go for it. It will last for years, provide a great shave and you will enjoy using it too!
Customer Review: Really nice razor
Summary: 5 Stars
Decided to switch to a DE razor after years of single, double, triple blade gimmicky razors. Decided on the Parker 22R because of all the positive reviews....and they were right...this is a really nice DE razor at a very reasonable price.
If you are thinking about going the DE route I don't think you can go wrong with this razor. Plus it comes with 10 good razor blades. And if you don't like this particular razor you can probably sell it for half price after a few months...and you still come out ahead over the cost of 10 cartridge blades for the same period!
Regarding the shave....just take it easy and don't use a lot of pressure. If you are new to DE shaving I really suggest you check out videos on youtube for good info on how to shave with a DE razor. The technique is very different from cartridge razor shaving. Save yourself time, frustrations and cuts by learning the proper methods first.
I've only been shaving with this razor for 3 days and have yet to nick myself. Start out a few days with just shaving with the grain. It likely won't be the closest shave but you can always back it up with your old triple/quad cartridge razor for a week or so. Once you feel more comfortable you can go with the grain, relather, and then go against the grain (up the sides of the face) for that really great close shave. You'll be amazed by how close the shave is....especially over your cartridge razor.
I'm still learning but am really happy with the Parker 22. It is a good, solid feeling razor and it looks very sharp in appearance. If I had to do it all over again I would still choose this razor...I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good DE razor!
Customer Review: Simply Amazing old technology
Summary: 5 Stars
In the process of remodeling our house, my Gillette was misplaced and I used some of my wife's disposable razors. While not happy with the Gillette, the disposable razors were worse. Both types scrape off my whiskers as opposed to shave them. They also plugged up with hair so I have to throw them away before the blade actually goes bad. And the "modern" razor inserts are pricey. As I am a wuss, I rebelled from shaving altogether, telling my wife I was going to find a better was before shaving again. I found this Parker 22 on Amazon, ordered some Col Conk soap, and a badger hair brush. Normally when I shave off a beard I use scissors first, then shave with a new blade till it clogs, then install a blade again for the final shave. The Parker was different. I soaped up my face and shaved, long fur and all. I wiped the soap and beard hair off the razor and into the waste basket to prevent clogging the drain. No pushing, scraping, cleaning the hair out of the razor was required. When the hair loading increased, I simply open the butterfly and rinsed the hair out! Could not do that with the Gillette and throwaways. I just let the razor do the cutting. After 50 years of shaving this was the first decent shave in many a year. My face is as smooth as a baby's bottom!
My old razor will hit the trash as soon as it turns up. Newer is not better in this case. Putting grandiose, high tech sounding, names on trash does not turn it into a silk purse. Do yourself a small favor and check one of these safety razors out. You will never go back to the "new" technology.
Customer Review: You aren't a real man until you shave like one
Summary: 4 Stars
I didn't know what I was missing until I started shaving with a "safety" razor. When people ask me when I became a man, I say at the ripe old age of 43...when I started shaving like one. It's the best thing ever. Why wasn't this information passed down to me from my father?! Well, it won't happen again. I have two grown sons, for both of whom I purchased a whole shaving system, including this safety razor. The one son in the Marines absolutely loves it. That's my boy! The other son in the Army doesn't care for it because "it irritates my skin." This is no comment on the Army vs Marines, but rather on a youngster who rejects manhood and who I've since disowned. ;)
Enough of that garbage. I really like the razor and agree with most reviews I read. However, I have one complaint: While shaving, the tightener on the neck of the razor tends to loosen no matter how hard I tighten it. I don't want to break the thing, but if it loosens and the razor has some free movement, brother, you're gonna bleed. As a real man now, of course I don't mind bleeding, but it's not very manly to have to admit that you cut yourself shaving, unless you did it with a rock you sharpened by chiseling it on another rock (which I do when out-of-town).
One thing I learned from a veteran shaver that has helped a lot: Shave AFTER you shower. I didn't believe it at first until one day I forgot to shave before showering. The shower's water and steam softens up your skin and allows for a much smoother shave. FYI.
Overall, a quality product.