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Parker Safety Razor

I have been a user of disposable razors for years and am contemplating making the move to DE safety razor to get a better shave. I insist on the convenience of a butterfly razor. I just can't picture myself (a user of disposables) going to the trouble of taking apart a traditional safety razor to change blades. So, given the fact that I really want a butterfly razor . . . I am about to buy one made by Parker. It's called the "Vintage Butterfly." Made in India . . .selling for around $25. Does any one have any experience with this particular razor?
 
the parker butterfly razors arent the greatest thing ever, actually the 3 piece parkers are better, if you want a good butterfly razor, you´re better off scouring ebay for a slim or a fat boy, my personal opinion is that modern butterfly razors are inferior to modern 2-3 piece razors, and if you want a butterfly razor, you´re better off getting a 2nd hand gillette,

on the other hand, you can do better then $25 checking for vincents and weishis in ebay, which are chinese made, or a feather popular, which is very plasticy and also not very good,
 
Thanks, Kevin. Is your Parker a Butterfly? I called the company that sells this Parker razor and they said they have had far fewer complaints about it than they have with the rest of their line. Plus a lot of favorable comments. But they have some self interest at stake here . . . so it's good to hear this from an unbiased source.
 
my 89R, the handle isnt exactly straight and the doors dont alinged exactly, its not my best DE, personaly, i think that investing a little bit more money gives alot more quality,
 
A two or three piece razor is no big deal to manage. You're missing out on a lot by refusing to consider them.

If you still insist on a TTO, I agree that it's better to seek out a vintage Gillette or Schick.

Good luck with your quest and keep us posted.
 
to open a butterfly razor or a two piece is no different & the build quality of
a merkur for example is much better than a parker
just my 2 cents
 
TTO = Twist to Open (aka Butterfly)

I too have a Parker 90R here, I'm lucky mine is balanced and equally aggressive both sides. My buddy bought one at the same time from the same vendor and one side of his is like a dull spoon, the other side like a laser knife... I'd say something lacking in QC at Parker.

A vintage Gillette or a Schick/Wilkinson Sword is a far better bet IMO - for a shave-grade (ie. doesn't look great, but mechanically working) example you'd be out less than $20 for sure.
 
Thanks, Kevin. Is your Parker a Butterfly? I called the company that sells this Parker razor and they said they have had far fewer complaints about it than they have with the rest of their line. Plus a lot of favorable comments. But they have some self interest at stake here . . . so it's good to hear this from an unbiased source.
Mine's a butterfly, yeah. There's nothing wrong with it that I can see. One side of the blade sticks out a bit but both cutting edges are equally exposed. Silo doors open smoothly. It's a very mild shaver.

I'm just a beginner though. I just got my Parker earlier this week, so I'm not an experienced source. But I honestly don't see a lot wrong with it, to be honest. I think it's a nice razor to learn on...not too heavy, small head, etc. From everything I've read I think Gilettes are a better value, but good luck finding a GOOD one on Ebay without having to fight off 12 people who likely don't even need it (as they probably have 4-5 razors of their own already). But I'm sure there are some people on the forum here that'll hook you up.

I got the Parker because I wanted a NEW butterfly razor to try out and it was under $20 incl. shipping with blades and a case. Found a few Gillettes for around that price but again, they attracted a crowd.

If I LIKE safety razor shaving, I'm going to move up to a Merkur 23, I think. It has a longer handle like the Parker. But the Parker serves my purposes for now.
 
I've had good luck and a nice shave with a weishi TTO razor and 7am blades. I picked one up for $19.50 shipped from Amazon. No nicks or cuts yet.:001_smile
 
I've tried a couple of Parkers (not the TTO, to be fair) but they have been pretty junky. My favourite TTO is the Schick Krona - still plenty of them around on ebay, and I dare say one of us B&B folks may have a spare for you...
 
I can't recommend the parker tto either... I had a 90R that I recently gave away. They're OK, but for the $20 I spent I could've done a lot better... the doors on the head are very thin metal and the quality control isn't very good. I would recommend a Merkur three piece such as the classic - it's only a few dollars more.
 
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