Item Description
This is one of the heftiest razors in production. It is very solidly built and surprisingly comfortable to hold while shaving. Lighter razors are more manoeuvrable but the weight does help when shaving the more awkward areas.
The quality of the finish is okay, but nothing special. It is nickel plated and I fully expect that it will last a lifetime, but there are better looking finishes.
The price of the razor is reasonable enough but I bought my Muehle R89 for the same amount of money and it is a much better quality razor, so there are better value razors to be found for the price of the 98R.
When it comes to user-friendliness, there is a rather annoying feature of this razor: when inserting a blade, it is necessary to align the blade manually as the razor has not been designed and manufactured to the tolerance that one would expect. It is quite awkward but there is a certain knack to getting it right. As frustrating as this can be, it is worth persevering with the razor as the most important thing is how well it shaves. Fortunately, this is certainly the area where the 98R excels.
Although the razor can feel a bit cumbersome at first, it soon feels comfortable and easy to wield. I have given this razor a score of 10 for aggressiveness not because it is a super-aggressive razor but because it responds very well to the choice of blade you use. A smooth, less sharp blade makes the 98R a mild, forgiving razor whereas the sharpest blades will make the 98R give a much more aggressive shave. The 98R is therefore a very versatile piece of equipment and is capable of giving a shave as close as anything on the market.
As things stand, I would hesitate to recommend this razor based upon the problems with blade alignment. I don't regret buying mine but Parker's spotty record with quality control is certainly something to take into consideration and problems with alignment are not excusable. If you decide to purchase a Parker, make sure you buy one from a reputable seller who will be understanding about any possible returns.
It's a shame that Parker have such issues because if they improved their manufacturing and quality control, they could compete with the best.
The quality of the finish is okay, but nothing special. It is nickel plated and I fully expect that it will last a lifetime, but there are better looking finishes.
The price of the razor is reasonable enough but I bought my Muehle R89 for the same amount of money and it is a much better quality razor, so there are better value razors to be found for the price of the 98R.
When it comes to user-friendliness, there is a rather annoying feature of this razor: when inserting a blade, it is necessary to align the blade manually as the razor has not been designed and manufactured to the tolerance that one would expect. It is quite awkward but there is a certain knack to getting it right. As frustrating as this can be, it is worth persevering with the razor as the most important thing is how well it shaves. Fortunately, this is certainly the area where the 98R excels.
Although the razor can feel a bit cumbersome at first, it soon feels comfortable and easy to wield. I have given this razor a score of 10 for aggressiveness not because it is a super-aggressive razor but because it responds very well to the choice of blade you use. A smooth, less sharp blade makes the 98R a mild, forgiving razor whereas the sharpest blades will make the 98R give a much more aggressive shave. The 98R is therefore a very versatile piece of equipment and is capable of giving a shave as close as anything on the market.
As things stand, I would hesitate to recommend this razor based upon the problems with blade alignment. I don't regret buying mine but Parker's spotty record with quality control is certainly something to take into consideration and problems with alignment are not excusable. If you decide to purchase a Parker, make sure you buy one from a reputable seller who will be understanding about any possible returns.
It's a shame that Parker have such issues because if they improved their manufacturing and quality control, they could compete with the best.
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