Parker, 98R Ultra Heavy Weight Long Handle Double Edge Safety Razor & 5 Blade Refills

The Parker 98R Ultra Heavy Weight Long Handle razor is the heaviest razor I've owned.I learnt to shave with my Dad's Gillette Gold Tech back in the sixties. I've been using disposables for years, changing from one to another — the last being a Gillette Mach 3 three-blade. I've never had a really decent shave from any of them. My son mentioned he'd found an old safety razor when helping clean out a house and that he was delighted with the shave he had from it, that blades are a tenth the cost of the "system" razors is even better for him.When I saw this on Amazon, I decided to order it and a box of Personna blades, remembering how well they worked in Dad's Gold Tech.Wow. It almost shaves by itself. It's a lot heavier than the Gold Tech, holds the blade far more securely and feels great in the hand. The extra-long handle (about an inch longer than Dad's old Gold Tech) is a delight, the spiral grooves give a secure grip with wet hands and the mirror-polished finish glides over the skin.Forty-plus year old muscle memory worked just fine, I had a couple of nicks because I'd angled the head incorrectly, a touch of styptic pencil and a splash of after-shave solved that; I'll re-learn the angles quickly.In addition, this is the first shave I've had in years where I managed to trim my sideburns squarely with my eyeglass temples and evenly across. The head/blade trimmed between the halves of my moustache and the remainder of my upper lip effortlessly.I can't recommend the combination of the Parker 98R and Personna blades highly enough.

This is one great razor. I have big hands and love the extra long handle and extra weight of this razor. The chrome plating is beautiful on both the head and handle. In spite of the heavy weight, the razor is well balanced. It is not necessary to put any pressure on the razor while shaving; let the weight of the razor do the work.Some have said they had a difficult time getting a comfortable shave with this razor. I suspect they are using the wrong shave angle. While many razors work well at a 30 degree angle, both the Parker 98R and the 24C open comb seem to work best at around 45 degrees. There is a large gap between the blade and the safety bar on the 98R. If the angle is too low, the bar will just wipe the lather off your face without cutting hair. The tendency then is to increase the pressure of the razor on the face. That is sure to lead to an uncomfortable shave. Just get the angle right and let the weight of the razor work for you. I suggest placing the head of the razor flat against your face and then lower the handle slowly until you begin to feel the blade on your skin. The angle will be close to 45 degrees. With the proper technique, this razor will give a wonderful shave. I used a new Feather blade in the razor the first time I used it..no nicks, no cuts, no errors, but I used the right technique.

Review from a woman:TLDR: Awesome long handle, but pretty aggressive. Get ADJUSTABLE razors like the Qshave or Merkur long handle if you're a beginner.Has a great weight and wonderful LONG handle! The cuts on the handle are pretty good for grip; much better than my Jagger. This Parker would be better for more experienced shavers. Shaves armpits fine. To relate the Parker's aggressiveness to the adjustable points system used by the razors mentioned below, the Parker shaves like a 6 or 7. I find that 6/7 is perfect for the softer/more fleshy parts of my legs, but nicks me up on my shins, knees, and ankles...which is almost half my leg! (For those areas, I turn my adjustable razors down to a 2/3)!Since I'm still a bit nenewo safety razors, I have now switched to the Qshave adjustable and Merkur adjustable long handle. The Qshave ($16) is excellent for beginners. I bought the Merker adjustable ($65; MK-510001) because the head tends to turn a bit on the Qshave. The Merkur is new but seems great. Another bonus of the Qshave is that the top of it is more of a "cap" so there are no sharp razor corners sticking out from the sides of the razor. AFAIK, the Qshave is the only razor like that.

I'm new to shaving with a Safety razor. I'm 37, and after years of the Mach III, and then the Fusion, I was tired of pissing away my money on cartridges. A friend of mine told me how he switched to the old school safety razors, shave soaps etc... While initially thinking he lost his mind, I finally came around to realizing that I was the one who needed the thinking re-adjustment. I shopped around and decided on the Parker 98R. When it came, I was actually excited to shave, and for the first time, I didn't do too bad, only a couple of nicks. Now I've used it a few times and I love it, I will never, ever go back. This razor is awesome, it's heavy and feels like a true tool in your hands. And with the blades being only about 17 cents a piece, I no longer feel like I have to get "all I can" out of each blade, the way I did with the Mach III's/fusions. Plus, the quality of shave is superb, I've never felt my skin as smooth as I do now. Now I understand why Grandad wanted to shave every day. I'm a believer now. This is a great razor, would recommend to anyone looking at getting a safety razor.

I really liked the razor. Good heft and fairly easy to use—but when you pay this much for the handle, it shouldn’t break in a year. That’s my main complaint. You expect more durability when you buy a nicer product.