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First impressions: Merkur 34C vs Parker 89R

Just got my new Merkur HD and blade sampler from West Coast Shaving. Totally excited, looking forward to tomorrow morning. :biggrin:

My first couple weeks with DE shaving were with the Parker 89R. I really enjoy the results I get with it. However there are a few cosmetic imperfections that started to nag me. Albeit extremely minor details, such as scratches and dings from casting along with superficial plating issues like pitting. Granted, these had no bearing whatsoever on the actual shave itself. This is more about me being extremely nitpicky, and I had to see what all the HD fuss was about.

Initial HD comparisons:

  1. Size: Whoa, tiny! (Seriously, kept thinking heavy duty=bigger. The Parker handle is the same diameter, but almost 2cm longer.)
  2. Plating: Beautiful, compared to the Parker this thing is a work of art.
  3. Mechanical: Going to side with the Merkur, if you haven't used an HD before, the bottom is a knob that you twist to remove the top plate. Whereas with the Parker you twist off the entire handle to release two separate head pieces. The Parker isn't exactly hard to switch out a blade (done it half asleep quite a few times,) yet the Merkur seems easier.
  4. Head design: It's a toss up. Blade angle and exposure seem identical. Can't be sure, but I'd say the Parker head was modeled after a Merkur.
  5. Weight: They are extremely similar, even with the size difference. Both feel comfortable.

Overall thoughts: The Merkur hands down wins quality wise IMHO. My only concern right now is the length of the handle. I suppose a more accurate comparison would be the Merkur Barber Pole 38C vs Parker 89R.

For other newbies starting out and looking around: If you want something new and shiny and are debating between the two brands, shell out a few more bucks and go Merkur. Put it this way, if I had purchased the Merkur first this post probably wouldn't have happened.

Forgive my (lack of) point and shoot camera skills:
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It's a shame that Parker isn't building a better quality razor, but thankfully we've got Merkur and several other quality manufacturers.

Thanks for taking the time to compare the razors and detail the qc issues with the Parker.
 
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