Parker 26C

[2petros]

I have moved form Gillette rocket to Merkur 34C to Merkur 37C to Parker 24C. If i want to move ahead with another razor that is also smooth but shaves very close, which razor would you recommend?
I am currently researching Merkur Progress and Merkur Futur.

 

[Dog Whiskerer]

I have moved form Gillette rocket to Merkur 34C to Merkur 37C to Parker 24C. If i want to move ahead with another razor that is also smooth but shaves very close, which razor would you recommend?
I am currently researching Merkur Progress and Merkur Futur.

How about a more aggressive open comb?

 

[01HDFXD]

How about a more aggressive open comb?

Gillette New (any version).

 

[2petros]

Thank you for your info ...
Yes i love OC!
Gillette New long or short ? which one is less aggressive(+smooth)?

 

[01HDFXD]

Thank you for your info ...
Yes i love OC!
Gillette New long or short ? which one is less aggressive(+smooth)?

Ultimate YMMV question. Personally, I find the short comb to be smoother and more efficient by a tiny amount. Others here find the exact opposite and everywhere in between. Try one and you will probably end up getting the other at some point, as well.

 

[HomerJay]

Ultimate YMMV question. Personally, I find the short comb to be smoother and more efficient by a tiny amount. Others here find the exact opposite and everywhere in between. Try one and you will probably end up getting the other at some point, as well.

Yep, I find the long comb smoother. Use my short comb bar handle as a travel razor since it's small.

 

[emwolf]

OK folks, I just shaved with the 26C. My suspicions were confirmed; this razor performs as good as it looks. Here is my SOTD:

Prep: A hot shower
Pre: Imperial Lavender PSO
Lather: GFT Coconut Oil Cream
Brush: Rudy Vey 26mm Eagle in Moonjava w/ Finest F2 knot
Razor: Parker 26C (obv)
Blade: Personna Med Prep
Post: RazoRock Alum Block
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman Classic Vanilla
Result: The highest DFS possible. I did my standard 2.5 pass shave - WTG & ATG on the face, WTG, XTG, & ATG on the neck. It was a very smooth shave. I would consider this a fairly mild razor, but efficient. I don't know if it was just me, but the angle seemed very intuitive, and despite the fact that I generally prefer a shorter handle it was very comfortable. I'm BBS everywhere except one small spot on the right side of my neck (which is the bane of my existence!). I got no nicks or weepers, and I will say that this is the best result I've ever had on my first shave with any razor. I think that the learning curve on this will be very short as it provided me a very good shave on the first try. It is not ready to dethrone my stainless razors, but I believe it has definitely found a permanent home in my rotation. While it is not as aggressive as my beloved Goodwill, I was able to achieve the same results, and I dare say it is slightly more comfortable. Overall, I would recommend this razor to anyone; either a new shaver curious about OC's, or a seasoned vet looking to shake up the rotation a little bit. For the price it can't be beat, and if you are even a little bit curious about it then head over to BullGoose and grab one. This razor has completely changed my view of Parker. Where they were once a brand that I would kind of avoid, I'm eager to see if they come out with something as nice as this in the future.

View attachment 430270

the 26c is one of my top 3 razors i own. I'm a big fan of longer handles (big hands myself I find them easier to use).The last 3 days have been a 26c shave both face and head and today the blade is showing some wear, but it usually is a BBS shave when I take my time and do my standard 2 pass shave.

 

[Pippers]

General consensus is that this is more aggressive than the Merkur 1904? I love my 1904, but it is a bit aggressive for me, so was looking for something even less. It shaves a million times better (Smoother) than any straight bar that I've used, so I keep using it.

 

[stoof2010]

General consensus is that this is more aggressive than the Merkur 1904? I love my 1904, but it is a bit aggressive for me, so was looking for something even less. It shaves a million times better (Smoother) than any straight bar that I've used, so I keep using it.

Is your 1904 an open comb or safety bar?

 

[Pippers]

Is your 1904 an open comb or safety bar?

Open comb. It appears to allow more foam through making my shave more awesome compared to my 34C. I don't know if that is what is really happening, but something makes it way better to use. Just slides so slick over the face, where my other safety bars do not.

 

[stoof2010]

Open comb. It appears to allow more foam through making my shave more awesome compared to my 34C. I don't know if that is what is really happening, but something makes it way better to use. Just slides so slick over the face, where my other safety bars do not.

I'm surprised you said you want something less aggressive. I couldn't even shave with that. It is by far the least aggressive razor I've ever encountered.
Oh, maybe try a feather popular!! That's another crazy mild razor.

 

[engblom]

General consensus is that this is more aggressive than the Merkur 1904? I love my 1904, but it is a bit aggressive for me, so was looking for something even less. It shaves a million times better (Smoother) than any straight bar that I've used, so I keep using it.

Merkur 1904 is actually too mild. Normally people expect to feel some blade and Merkur 1904 OC got negative blade exposure, so no blade would be felt with true zero pressure. You could try to shave a carrot, or shave the surface of a wooden table and you would notice, the blade does not touch the surface even. The skin is flexing enough that with some pressure, you get the blade to touch your skin. Pressure is always a bad thing and will cause irritation, so if you get irritation from 1904 OC, it is probably because you excepted to feel the blade and added some pressure.

Parker 24C/26C is easier to shave with as it has neutral blade exposure. Without adding any pressure, you feel the blade (if the angle is right).

 

[Bondage007]

The more I use the 24C the more I love it. Although it's handle also gets a lot of extra duty on other razors. I love the grip.

Cheers
John

 

[stoof2010]

The OC parkers are rated as a pretty aggressive razor in the wiki. So does anyone here have a PAA/HTGAM Symmetry also and could let me know how they compare?
I like my Symmetry alot, and if the parker is like it, I'll probably grab one.

 

[sebargan2313]

Just a bump to the thread:
I recently received a 26C as I was interested in trying an open comb. My primary shaver previously was a 1960 Flare Tip, and I have received consistently comfortable shaves. I paired the parker with a Voskhod bladed and RR plague Dr soap. I had a very legitimate issue with the blade angle during most of the 1st pass, however I was able to fix that. Once the angle was correct, the parker was very smooth leaving me with a DFS shave after two passes with touch ups. I loved the feel of the open comb (my first) and hope to continue dialing this in.

 

[Dog Whiskerer]

I recently received a 26C as I was interested in trying an open comb.

That's how I got into open combs. Bought a Parker 26C to "dip my toe" so to speak, in the OC waters. I liked how it shaved, but had no other open comb razors to compare it to. Fast forward a year or so and I've added a number of OC razors to my stable. I'm participating in Open Comb October (OCtober) and my Parker 26C has gotten some use. More importantly, I've been able to compare it to my other vintage open combs and I say the 26C compares nicely. Best feeling razor in my hand, thanks to the heft and longer handle. Consistently provides close, comfortable shaves.

Enjoy yours!

 

[shave/brush]

The Parker OC is one of the smoothest razors I have ever used. Parker did a nice job with this razor.

 

[Maritime Storm]

I recently bought one, and I'm impressed with it, it's now part of my rotation.