I'm sure you will buy and try a lot of razors just like most of the other members did. Some you will like and some you wont but in the end I'm sure the Schone will still be one of your favorites.
OK, checking back in again- stepping up to more aggressive razors
- Thread starter Jeff10236
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- #22
Today was the day I started using the Parker again. I tried it with a very mild blade, the Derby (which I don't really like). Next shave I'll use either a Shark (probably the stainless but possibly the SC) or the Astra SP.
How'd it go? I did 3 passes, WTG, XTG, ATG with some additional clean up just as I usually do. Knowing it can be finicky with angles I was very careful about the angle (it seems to like a much more extreme angle than any of my other razors).
First pass, like my other tries, is was fine. It was almost comfortable, though I did feel a little more burn on my face than with the Schone or my more mild razors would give after two passes. Second pass, I got a bit of a cut on my chin and by the end I was already feeling enough burn that I was very tempted to use another razor for my 3rd pass, but I stuck with the Parker. Third pass, another cut (mustache area) and a lot of irritation.
I would say it was more comfortable (or more accurately, less uncomfortable) than my first two tries with the Parker. Like I said, I'll try it with other blades to see if that helps. In addition to the more extreme angle than most DE razors, it is finicky. Others, if you are little off of the ideal angle for the razor it will be a little more aggressive or a little less smooth, but as long as you are close you will probably have a comfortable shave. The Parker punishes you if you are off from the idea angle even just the tiniest bit. There are enough people who love this razor that I won't categorically say that people shouldn't buy one, but, it is not a good razor for someone who alternates between several razors. So that you will know its quirks inside and out, I would only recommend this razor for those who only have 1-3 razors and use this for weeks at a time. I really can't understand why it is often recommended as a 1st OC, and even as a 1st razor.
I will try to keep my pledge to use this all next week to really get to know the razor. Maybe things will get better with it once I do. Though, I can't go to work with my face as red as it is now (about 30min after my shave) so I'll have to do all my shaving at night. If I fall asleep without shaving and need a morning shave, I'll have to use a different razor.
All that said, I really do hope that next shave it clicks and it becomes a favorite. I really want to like this razor. The workmanship is perfect, blade alignment is terrific, and it just seems to be a well made razor. I love the length and weight. The chrome may be even nicer than the chrome on my Edwin Jagger, and the black handle is beautiful. It may be my best looking razor. If it never clicks in, I may try the head on another smaller and lighter handle and use the handle with other razor heads and see if it works better for me that way. It is so beautiful and well made that I hate to have to totally give up on it.
How'd it go? I did 3 passes, WTG, XTG, ATG with some additional clean up just as I usually do. Knowing it can be finicky with angles I was very careful about the angle (it seems to like a much more extreme angle than any of my other razors).
First pass, like my other tries, is was fine. It was almost comfortable, though I did feel a little more burn on my face than with the Schone or my more mild razors would give after two passes. Second pass, I got a bit of a cut on my chin and by the end I was already feeling enough burn that I was very tempted to use another razor for my 3rd pass, but I stuck with the Parker. Third pass, another cut (mustache area) and a lot of irritation.
I would say it was more comfortable (or more accurately, less uncomfortable) than my first two tries with the Parker. Like I said, I'll try it with other blades to see if that helps. In addition to the more extreme angle than most DE razors, it is finicky. Others, if you are little off of the ideal angle for the razor it will be a little more aggressive or a little less smooth, but as long as you are close you will probably have a comfortable shave. The Parker punishes you if you are off from the idea angle even just the tiniest bit. There are enough people who love this razor that I won't categorically say that people shouldn't buy one, but, it is not a good razor for someone who alternates between several razors. So that you will know its quirks inside and out, I would only recommend this razor for those who only have 1-3 razors and use this for weeks at a time. I really can't understand why it is often recommended as a 1st OC, and even as a 1st razor.
I will try to keep my pledge to use this all next week to really get to know the razor. Maybe things will get better with it once I do. Though, I can't go to work with my face as red as it is now (about 30min after my shave) so I'll have to do all my shaving at night. If I fall asleep without shaving and need a morning shave, I'll have to use a different razor.
All that said, I really do hope that next shave it clicks and it becomes a favorite. I really want to like this razor. The workmanship is perfect, blade alignment is terrific, and it just seems to be a well made razor. I love the length and weight. The chrome may be even nicer than the chrome on my Edwin Jagger, and the black handle is beautiful. It may be my best looking razor. If it never clicks in, I may try the head on another smaller and lighter handle and use the handle with other razor heads and see if it works better for me that way. It is so beautiful and well made that I hate to have to totally give up on it.
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- #23
Even if I wasn't a collector type I suspect you are correct. Out of what I have now, I have one I'll definitely be getting rid of (the RazoRock DE1, I bought it to be a cheap razor for travel in case something happens to it, but I have enough sub-$20 razors that I like, and quite a few in the $25 and under range that I don't see myself using it again), and one I'm not sure I'll ever warm to (the Parker 26c). I have one or two others that I like, but likely won't see much use next to my top 3-5.
I'm already eying several other razors to add to the collection and see where they fit: another Schone but in nickle to go with the one I have in gold, a Fatip Gentle, a Fatip Piccolo, a Fendrihan MkII and/or maybe the aggressive original, at $20-22 a short handle EJ for travel, I may try a slant with the RR German 37 or try an aggressive safety bar with the RR Mentor, and the Merkur 1904/41 OC.
You might want to use your Schone through the week when you have to go to work and try any new razors on the weekend. I would try the Astra SP next in the Parker.
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- #25
That's an idea, the Schone and my other favorites on workdays, and the Parker on weekends for now. I'm a teacher, and Spring Break is coming up in 2 weeks so I will have time to get to know the Parker soon without having to go to work looking like I just got out of a fight.
As for the Astra, that and the Shark are one of my favorite medium sharp blades. I'll have to double check which I used with the Parker previously and I'll probably use the one I didn't use then.
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I love my Schone & it shaves the best for me with a Treet carbon black blades. I use it about 2-3 times a week along with Gillette Tech & clones.
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- #27
I was going to try different blades in my Schone until a couple shaves in I tried it with Polsilver SI. I loved the shave I got with that combo so much that my blade experimentation in it stopped right there. When I go back to the Schone, I'll try to make myself try other blades. If I still prefer the Polsilver in them, I'll have to place an order for a 100 pack.
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The Polsilver is too aggressive for me. It left me with lots of irritation on my neck & cheeks. I never get irritation on my cheeks with any other blade... even the Feather blade.
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- #29
I haven't yet tried the Feather, I do have one in a sampler I bought early on. Maybe it is time to try some blades from that sampler (I put it aside and never used it, the sampler I used is a sampler of 5 packs since that gives me more time with each blade and more opportunity to try each blade with different razors). The Polsilver is quite sharp, but I find it quite smooth. I also generally seem to like sharper blades better (my favorite is the Nacet which also seems to be on the sharp side, my favorite medium sharp blade is the Israeli Personna Red which seems sharper than my next favorite Astras and Sharks).
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- #30
I just bought 4 more razors (so with the two vintages I recently got- a birth year Gillette Super Speed, and a birth year/birth quarter Tech) I have about a month of shaving set up just to get to know these razors. Unless I love them significantly more than new production, I see the birth years as something I'll have around and use occasionally, so I probably will just shave with them once or twice in the next couple weeks to see if I like them, but mostly they'll just be nice to have. Today I bought a short handle Edwin Jagger DE89L as a travel razor (it is nice and small and should fit in an empty TOBS "tin" nicely), but I already have a regular DE86 (black handled DE89) plus a Maggards v3 head (a DE89 clone) so I doubt I'll need much time to dial that one in. At right around $22 for an EJ, I couldn't resist.
So, the main new razors I bought today (in the spirit of the thread, stepping up to more aggressive razors) are:
So, the main new razors I bought today (in the spirit of the thread, stepping up to more aggressive razors) are:
- A Fatip Piccolo. So far I love its cousin, the Schone, so I really wanted to give it a try. If I like this one too, with the short handle, it will make a nice compact travel razor like the short handled EJ. I can't wait to see how it compares to my Schone.
- A RazoRock Mentor. I'd like to give an aggressive safety bar razor a try. If it is too much, I can put it aside for a couple months. I'm looking forward to seeing how it works out.
- A RazoRock 37 German. From what I read, it is a good way to try a slant: great price and it is a good slant in its own right. I just bought the head since my RR OLD Type OC has the same handle, and I also ordered the RR Barber Pole handle to try with several of my razor heads (including the German). It will be interesting to see how it compares with one of the open combs.
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- #31
Time for another Parker 26c update...
I just finished my shave so I had around 30 hours growth. I used a new Astra SP blade, pre-shave oil, I washed my face with Nivea moisturizing face wash (so with the pre-shave oil my skin and stubble should have been well moisturized), Proraso red soap (not my favorite scent, but it is nice and slick), and both an alum stick and Thayer's witch hazel (plus a witch hazel based AS).
Near the end of the first pass it seemed my face wasn't any more red or irritated than with any other razor so I was starting to think I got it, then the bleeding started. I rarely to never outright cut myself anymore when shaving, and don't even get small weepers that seal up on their own during the shave all that often. Well, the one on my chin would normally be significant, but with the one on my upper cheek, it was nothing. The one on my cheek was just leaking blood down my face. This razor definitely punishes even the most minor mistake in angle or technique like none of my razors do, it just has such a small window for the angle it accepts. Other than the cuts, my face was pretty comfortable though, so I continued on. After my second pass my skin was definitely irritated, but I continued to my third pass. My face turned out very red, my cheek was still bleeding pretty good (and there was still some blood from the one on my chin plus a new weeper on my neck near my adams apple). When I ran the alum over it, it stung in places that even on my first shave with a DE I didn't have irritation, and I had significant irritation in areas I rarely have much irritation anymore. 10 minutes after my shave and my face is still quite red. After my now 4th shave with this razor, I wouldn't say I'm getting better with it, if anything the results are worse.
The one plus is that this razor does seem to give me some of my closest shaves, rivaling the Schone for closest shave. So, with the close shaves along with it being an absolutely beautiful razor, I really want to like it, but so far I can't.
I'm having issues with this Parker that I don't have with other razors. My next shave with it will only be a 2 pass shave and we'll see how much that helps. Though, I'm not going to use it this week, I don't want to look like a prizefighter who got the worst of it when I go to work during the week, I'll wait for the weekend. At this rate, I probably will only give it 2 or 3 more shaves and if there is no improvement I will be getting rid of it (I don't expect to be perfect with it that soon, but I need to see significant improvement). There are people who like the Parker 24 and 26, it seems that I might just not be one. I'm not sure how much a used modern razor goes for so I'm not sure if I'll sell it. I'm leaning towards a pass around for a month or so and then from those who like it, I would pick one person to PIF it to.
I just finished my shave so I had around 30 hours growth. I used a new Astra SP blade, pre-shave oil, I washed my face with Nivea moisturizing face wash (so with the pre-shave oil my skin and stubble should have been well moisturized), Proraso red soap (not my favorite scent, but it is nice and slick), and both an alum stick and Thayer's witch hazel (plus a witch hazel based AS).
Near the end of the first pass it seemed my face wasn't any more red or irritated than with any other razor so I was starting to think I got it, then the bleeding started. I rarely to never outright cut myself anymore when shaving, and don't even get small weepers that seal up on their own during the shave all that often. Well, the one on my chin would normally be significant, but with the one on my upper cheek, it was nothing. The one on my cheek was just leaking blood down my face. This razor definitely punishes even the most minor mistake in angle or technique like none of my razors do, it just has such a small window for the angle it accepts. Other than the cuts, my face was pretty comfortable though, so I continued on. After my second pass my skin was definitely irritated, but I continued to my third pass. My face turned out very red, my cheek was still bleeding pretty good (and there was still some blood from the one on my chin plus a new weeper on my neck near my adams apple). When I ran the alum over it, it stung in places that even on my first shave with a DE I didn't have irritation, and I had significant irritation in areas I rarely have much irritation anymore. 10 minutes after my shave and my face is still quite red. After my now 4th shave with this razor, I wouldn't say I'm getting better with it, if anything the results are worse.
The one plus is that this razor does seem to give me some of my closest shaves, rivaling the Schone for closest shave. So, with the close shaves along with it being an absolutely beautiful razor, I really want to like it, but so far I can't.
I'm having issues with this Parker that I don't have with other razors. My next shave with it will only be a 2 pass shave and we'll see how much that helps. Though, I'm not going to use it this week, I don't want to look like a prizefighter who got the worst of it when I go to work during the week, I'll wait for the weekend. At this rate, I probably will only give it 2 or 3 more shaves and if there is no improvement I will be getting rid of it (I don't expect to be perfect with it that soon, but I need to see significant improvement). There are people who like the Parker 24 and 26, it seems that I might just not be one. I'm not sure how much a used modern razor goes for so I'm not sure if I'll sell it. I'm leaning towards a pass around for a month or so and then from those who like it, I would pick one person to PIF it to.
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- #32
Hmm, on other sites, and on YouTube I've seen people describe the Parker 24c and 26c as finicky with angles. Medium aggression, smooth when used right, but very particular on angles. So, I expected it to be finicky until I figured out what it likes. Reading past posts and reviews of it here on B&B it seems people like it, consider it mild, and even recommend it commonly for new DE shavers (sometimes even as a 1st razor). Heck, I've seen some posts where people say it is more mild than an Edwin Jagger DE89 (I find my DE86, my first razor, to be easy to use comfortably). I definitely find a more aggressive razor (my Schone) much more comfortable and user friendly. So, I'm beginning to wonder...Is the problem the razor, or maybe, since I expected trouble at first, was it a self-fulfilling prophesy and I'm somehow subconsciously causing problems with it since I expected some trouble?
Maybe I should just put it aside for a couple months, then take it back out when I can come to it fresh and without expectations? On the other hand, some people and some razors aren't a good mix (even if the razor is a good razor) and it could just be that this razor isn't for me. What do you folks think, should I give it one last chance then get rid of it, or should I put it aside to try again in a few months?
Maybe I should just put it aside for a couple months, then take it back out when I can come to it fresh and without expectations? On the other hand, some people and some razors aren't a good mix (even if the razor is a good razor) and it could just be that this razor isn't for me. What do you folks think, should I give it one last chance then get rid of it, or should I put it aside to try again in a few months?
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I never ever get nicked on my cheeks.! I get small nicks now & then on my chin & neck area even with the Gillette Tech though. Have you checked the blade gaps for an even straight across blade alignment on both sides.?
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- #34
Whether I ever like it, or if I continue to not like it, one thing I can say about the 26c is it is well made. I know that Parker had issues with consistent construction, especially with even blade gaps and blade alignment, when they first came to the U.S. However, both Parkers I have are great in that respect. It is a well made razor, it gives a close shave, and it is beautiful. Though, I could take my calipers to it and actually measure instead of eyeballing it, I suppose it is possible that there is a small difference that I'm not noticing just looking at it.
As for the nick on the cheeks, yeah, that's a first for me too. Got me on the cheekbone, and mine are fairly pronounced I guess. It was a first, and it produced quite a bit of blood.
Can you move the blade from side to side at all before you tighten the handle. If you can you need to align the blade yourself before tightening the handle. That's what I disliked about the Piccolo.
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- #36
No, no movement. Blade alignment is good. Eyeballing it, blade gap seems consistent on each side too, but I may take my calipers to it to be sure.
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- #37
So, I'm of very mixed mind with the Parker. On the one hand, it is new to me and it did take me about a month before I could get consistent 3-pass shaves with a DE. Maybe I am just dealing with the same learning curve with the Parker and if I go 2-pass for a while, then occasional 3-passes, I'll eventually get it. On the other hand, I do fine with the Schone which is supposed to be a more aggressive razor, so maybe the Parker just isn't for me.
Should I continue trying the Parker, or should I just send it off to someone who would like it?
I'm thinking that I'll definitely know when the Fatip Piccolo and RR Mentor come in. The Piccolo is a similar head to the Schone but it sounds like it isn't as smooth, and the Mentor is a quite aggressive razor (RR/Italian Barber rates it an 8 out of 10). If I struggle with those (one or both), maybe I should stick with the Parker since it may be part of the learning curve for a razor that is different from my others. If I find one, and definitely both, of those much more aggressive razors easier to tame, maybe the the Parker just isn't for me.
Should I continue trying the Parker, or should I just send it off to someone who would like it?
I'm thinking that I'll definitely know when the Fatip Piccolo and RR Mentor come in. The Piccolo is a similar head to the Schone but it sounds like it isn't as smooth, and the Mentor is a quite aggressive razor (RR/Italian Barber rates it an 8 out of 10). If I struggle with those (one or both), maybe I should stick with the Parker since it may be part of the learning curve for a razor that is different from my others. If I find one, and definitely both, of those much more aggressive razors easier to tame, maybe the the Parker just isn't for me.
I would just put it on the back burner for now and enjoy your Schone. You can always revisit it at a later time.
My first razor was the Parker 76r. I loved the look of the razor but not the shaves it gave me as a new shaver. After a year and a half I got my Parker out today. I got a beautiful shave this morning from the Parker. For me at least the Parker is not a beginner razor. Now that I have some experience the Parker is as good as my Fatboy. It is now in my rotation.
Put it away while you work on technic and return in 6 months and try again.
Put it away while you work on technic and return in 6 months and try again.
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- #40
My Parker 76r was my second razor, and for a time it was my favorite (I liked it better than my EJ for a few weeks). Though, it is more likely than my others to provide irritation and nicks. My 26 definitely has less visible blade exposure, and appears to have less blade gap than my Schone (thus the Schone is more aggressive). Yet, I can get a terrific and comfortable shave with the Schone, and the 26c irritates the heck out of my face and cuts me up. I'm definitely learning there is more to it than just mild/medium/aggressive. The Parkers may be fine for beginners if it is your only razor so you get to know it fast, but they seem to me to be less forgiving of anything but their optimum angle. It makes sense that with experience it will be easier to find the optimum angle for different razors. I'll probably put it aside for a few months instead of getting rid of the 26, but then, if I can get a good shave with my other razors (including more aggressive razors) I may revisit and still end up passing it on to someone else after I get my new more aggressive razors I have on order (the Fatip Piccolo, the RazoRock Mentor, and the RR German 37 slant).
Oh, after 48hrs growth (to let my face heal from the Parker 26), I shaved tonight with my Schone and a brand new Nacet and once again it gave me an easy, comfortable, and close shave. I didn't feel any irritation so I used my alum stick to see if anything I didn't notice showed up. Very mild stinging along the base of my neck (where it sometimes gets irritated without a shave) and barely perceptible in 2 other common spots for irritation (the area between my lower lip and my chin, and my mustache area). What little there was went away about 2 seconds after applying the alum. I love my Schone (have I said that yet
).
