As I was posting this in another thread, I figured that since I've yet to see these two razors compared next to each other, or exposed in details, I should make this as a stand alone thread.
As far as I can tell, the Parker 96R is a very close descendant of the Gillette, as the similarities are very easy to see.
The description
It terms or quality, both appear to be made using very similar metals and quality. I know that the Gillette is from the early 70s, so it's already passed the test of time, but the Parker has the same feel, that my grand-kids (and so on) will probably end up using it as well.
Both weight about the same, both have great grip, but the Parker feels better. (no chance of slipping) Length of handle, the Gillette is short of 3 inches, the Parker, short of 4 inches. To open doors, Gillette is at the bottom (as top is the adjustable clicker), the Parker at the top.
Both are smooth and have a solid final turn to lock the doors/blade. The guards are virtually identical, and the curve is a little more pronounced on the Gillette, but just by a tad, which means the angle is a bit more square. This causes the blade to be more pronounced (sticks out more) on the Gillette (close to 1mm), which I find makes it more aggressive at "9" than the Parker.
The fact that the doors of the Parker and the guard barely lets any exposed blade (just the edge itself at about 0.5mm) means that as you slide the razor, as long as you have the right angle, you'll have the guard and the door on your skin at all times, and the blade cutting the whispers are they pass through.
The shaves
Considering that I used to rip my face apart with every cartridge I've ever used, and every electric razor (the pull of skin into those rotating or vibrating blades as I'd feel it slide a chunk of skin, always made me fear them). So after over 25 years of shaving, I'd shave less and less, as it was a hardship.
I gather than with a very sensitive skin, I also have growth that is fairly thick hairs, or at least, goes from thin to thick in various areas, and the growth's direction is very erratic, making it a difficult shave.
Another quick note is that what decided me to go DE, is that I had a Schick cartridge with the single blade on the back for precision, which I ended using for my whole face, as I found it easier and better (no clogging between the multiple tiny wiry blades and I could actually see what I was cutting).
Parker 96R
I'll admit that the Parker is my first DE razor and it's been reliable, and I haven't nicked myself with it. with proper lather, it glides very well, to the point that with a wet face (after a standard 3-4 pass), I can easily do my final touch ups with only the wetness and residue slick from the lather (but mostly only water). The fact that the blade barely sticks out, with only the edge, gives me confidence to do detailed work.
Gillette
I got it because, like most of us, we want a "classic" in our collection. But more important to me, after reading about how aggressive the Parker are supposed to be, that I didn't find any problems with using mine, I wanted to explore what mild to aggressive was like.... and what better way than filling two things with one (a classic, and an adjustable).
Turned out that I was finding that the mild was barely doing anything, so I kept clicking it up and found myself at 9 before I felt that I was actually accomplishing something, where I could control my angle and feel the blade working for me instead of me working to make it work.
Results
Between the two, due to the blade extending out more with the Gillette, I found that the shave I get with the Gillette is more aggressive, but not due to the gap between the blade and guard, but due to the blade being more exposed and the gap between the edge and the head of the razor, as opposed to the Parker where the "aggressiveness" is the gap between the edge and the guard only, making the blade more secure and making the glide better.
So to me, while the Gillette is a fine razor, I find that the smoothness of the Parker makes it a better shave. The gap issues makes the difference between feeling some pulling with the Gillette, the blade being more exposed reminds me of guitar strings being pulled whenever the blade doesn't slice the hair perfectly (due to blade starting to lose it's edge, or the hair's angle), something that the Parker is much more forgiving with.
So I would say that my conclusion is that both are very well built, the material for both feels study, the built solid, and very similar in look and feel.
My preference is the Parker for two main things: the longer handle and the smoothness (lack of gap on top).
And now, the pictures.
The gap can be seen here quite well, the Gillette set at 9. But as mentioned, while the gap is the same, the exposed blade is about double for the Gillette, making the top gap (blade and door) much larger.
Very similar in built, with the added parts for the adjustable, making it a bigger head, but the actual bases are virtually identical.
A good view of how they really could be father and son.
The Gillette is from the early 70s, so there is a bit of tarnishing. But you can see the difference is the amount of blade that sticks out, and that the angle, due to the rounder doors on the Gillette causes the higher aggresivity.
A good view of the handles, length and patterns.
At another angle so to see the bottom of the head.
As far as I can tell, the Parker 96R is a very close descendant of the Gillette, as the similarities are very easy to see.
The description
It terms or quality, both appear to be made using very similar metals and quality. I know that the Gillette is from the early 70s, so it's already passed the test of time, but the Parker has the same feel, that my grand-kids (and so on) will probably end up using it as well.
Both weight about the same, both have great grip, but the Parker feels better. (no chance of slipping) Length of handle, the Gillette is short of 3 inches, the Parker, short of 4 inches. To open doors, Gillette is at the bottom (as top is the adjustable clicker), the Parker at the top.
Both are smooth and have a solid final turn to lock the doors/blade. The guards are virtually identical, and the curve is a little more pronounced on the Gillette, but just by a tad, which means the angle is a bit more square. This causes the blade to be more pronounced (sticks out more) on the Gillette (close to 1mm), which I find makes it more aggressive at "9" than the Parker.
The fact that the doors of the Parker and the guard barely lets any exposed blade (just the edge itself at about 0.5mm) means that as you slide the razor, as long as you have the right angle, you'll have the guard and the door on your skin at all times, and the blade cutting the whispers are they pass through.
The shaves
Considering that I used to rip my face apart with every cartridge I've ever used, and every electric razor (the pull of skin into those rotating or vibrating blades as I'd feel it slide a chunk of skin, always made me fear them). So after over 25 years of shaving, I'd shave less and less, as it was a hardship.
I gather than with a very sensitive skin, I also have growth that is fairly thick hairs, or at least, goes from thin to thick in various areas, and the growth's direction is very erratic, making it a difficult shave.
Another quick note is that what decided me to go DE, is that I had a Schick cartridge with the single blade on the back for precision, which I ended using for my whole face, as I found it easier and better (no clogging between the multiple tiny wiry blades and I could actually see what I was cutting).
Parker 96R
I'll admit that the Parker is my first DE razor and it's been reliable, and I haven't nicked myself with it. with proper lather, it glides very well, to the point that with a wet face (after a standard 3-4 pass), I can easily do my final touch ups with only the wetness and residue slick from the lather (but mostly only water). The fact that the blade barely sticks out, with only the edge, gives me confidence to do detailed work.
Gillette
I got it because, like most of us, we want a "classic" in our collection. But more important to me, after reading about how aggressive the Parker are supposed to be, that I didn't find any problems with using mine, I wanted to explore what mild to aggressive was like.... and what better way than filling two things with one (a classic, and an adjustable).
Turned out that I was finding that the mild was barely doing anything, so I kept clicking it up and found myself at 9 before I felt that I was actually accomplishing something, where I could control my angle and feel the blade working for me instead of me working to make it work.
Results
Between the two, due to the blade extending out more with the Gillette, I found that the shave I get with the Gillette is more aggressive, but not due to the gap between the blade and guard, but due to the blade being more exposed and the gap between the edge and the head of the razor, as opposed to the Parker where the "aggressiveness" is the gap between the edge and the guard only, making the blade more secure and making the glide better.
So to me, while the Gillette is a fine razor, I find that the smoothness of the Parker makes it a better shave. The gap issues makes the difference between feeling some pulling with the Gillette, the blade being more exposed reminds me of guitar strings being pulled whenever the blade doesn't slice the hair perfectly (due to blade starting to lose it's edge, or the hair's angle), something that the Parker is much more forgiving with.
So I would say that my conclusion is that both are very well built, the material for both feels study, the built solid, and very similar in look and feel.
My preference is the Parker for two main things: the longer handle and the smoothness (lack of gap on top).
And now, the pictures.
The gap can be seen here quite well, the Gillette set at 9. But as mentioned, while the gap is the same, the exposed blade is about double for the Gillette, making the top gap (blade and door) much larger.
Very similar in built, with the added parts for the adjustable, making it a bigger head, but the actual bases are virtually identical.
A good view of how they really could be father and son.
The Gillette is from the early 70s, so there is a bit of tarnishing. But you can see the difference is the amount of blade that sticks out, and that the angle, due to the rounder doors on the Gillette causes the higher aggresivity.
A good view of the handles, length and patterns.
At another angle so to see the bottom of the head.
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