Has anyone tried these? The handles look nice, but the quality of the head in the picture seems a little rough. Made in India and cheap for $27.
Parker TTO's
- Thread starter LiveOak
- Start date
Has anyone tried these? The handles look nice, but the quality of the head in the picture seems a little rough. Made in India and cheap for $27.
I've never used one. And yeah, that head looks like garbage. Being that that's the "business end" of the razor, I think I'd be more concerned with that and less concerned with how pretty the handle is.
There are some good Parkers, this is not one of them.
I had a Parker 22r TTO...poor quality...blade centering was way off and the handle was crooked where it twisted.
I actually had that exact razor when I first started. Pretty fair razor if you ask me and accordingly priced. You should've have any problems with it. I only sold mine because the handle felt too long for my taste.
Edit: I don't know if the above folks have tried this specific one, but again, I have and liked it. Parker makes solid razors.
Edit: I don't know if the above folks have tried this specific one, but again, I have and liked it. Parker makes solid razors.
If you want an eye opener go to Alibaba.com. It is a site for China goods for import. Check out the razors and brushes. Not Indian like this but will give you an idea of value. TTO and 3 peice safety razors from 1-3 USD!
A Parker TTO was my very first razor, I think it was an 82r. Gave me okay shaves for a while, but I couldn't keep using is for long because one of the doors refused to close all the way after maybe a week of use. The profile of the head is no good either. Too bad, because with a nicer finish they could make some really cool-looking razors.
Maybe you should stay away from the TTO's and go for the 3 piece razors from Parker. I've heard those are alright.
+1
The 3 piece models are much better respected than the TTO's made by Parker. Even the 3 piece models have some occasional problems with quality control. If a company can't get a simplistic 3 piece model right, you have to know the vastly more complex TTO is going to be total crap.
I have an 82R that looks great and works perfectly with no blade alignment issues, but, as others have said, it can be kind of hit and miss with this company.
If that's the Parker 22R, then that was my first DE razor. Mine had no problems at all, the long handle was great, it gave me great, BBS shaves no matter what kind of blade I threw into it.
The only reason I'm not using it anymore is because the enablers convinced me to "go vintage Gillette." For $27 it's a good deal for a new razor that you'll use for awhile before you eventually start picking up vintage DEs. In this age when you can get quality vintage Gillettes for between $15-$30, for me it makes absolutely no sense to pay $40-$50 on any brand of new razor.
Jeff in Boston
The only reason I'm not using it anymore is because the enablers convinced me to "go vintage Gillette." For $27 it's a good deal for a new razor that you'll use for awhile before you eventually start picking up vintage DEs. In this age when you can get quality vintage Gillettes for between $15-$30, for me it makes absolutely no sense to pay $40-$50 on any brand of new razor.
Jeff in Boston
If that's the Parker 22R, then that was my first DE razor. Mine had no problems at all, the long handle was great, it gave me great, BBS shaves no matter what kind of blade I threw into it.
The only reason I'm not using it anymore is because the enablers convinced me to "go vintage Gillette." For $27 it's a good deal for a new razor that you'll use for awhile before you eventually start picking up vintage DEs. In this age when you can get quality vintage Gillettes for between $15-$30, for me it makes absolutely no sense to pay $40-$50 on any brand of new razor.
Jeff in Boston
I will second this opinion completely.
If that's the Parker 22R, then that was my first DE razor. Mine had no problems at all, the long handle was great, it gave me great, BBS shaves no matter what kind of blade I threw into it.
The only reason I'm not using it anymore is because the enablers convinced me to "go vintage Gillette." For $27 it's a good deal for a new razor that you'll use for awhile before you eventually start picking up vintage DEs. In this age when you can get quality vintage Gillettes for between $15-$30, for me it makes absolutely no sense to pay $40-$50 on any brand of new razor.
Jeff in Boston
+1
I love vintage Gillettes, and if you buy one on the BST and don't like it, you can sell it for about what you paid, and only be out shipping and paypal fees (probably $5.00 tops).
Also, I would avoid the Parker and go with a Merkur. Again, if you buy it new and don't like it, you only loose a few bucks when you sell it.
If you are a newbie, I'd go with a:
Gillette Super Speed
Gillette Tech
Merkur HD (forgot the number--- may be a bit aggressive for a newbie, but plenty of shavers have bought that as their first DE)
If you're going to spend near $30 for a new razor, there is no comparison to this EJ, or about $32 for this EJ-DE89 with free shipping.
A parker 96r was my first razor almost a year ago and it performed decently. It definitely did have its problems though.
-Head would be bent when closed, yet would look perfectly straight when open.
-Blade exposure not quite even, but not to the extent that it'd draw blood or burn.
-Black finish on handle would flake off onto my hand, especially if the razor took a dive into the filled sink.
i believe it cost me $25 and even with those problems, i don't feel like i was swindled.
Had i known of badger and blade last year though, i'd like to think i'd have started with a Jagger, since i was looking at a few of their models as well.
-Head would be bent when closed, yet would look perfectly straight when open.
-Blade exposure not quite even, but not to the extent that it'd draw blood or burn.
-Black finish on handle would flake off onto my hand, especially if the razor took a dive into the filled sink.
i believe it cost me $25 and even with those problems, i don't feel like i was swindled.
Had i known of badger and blade last year though, i'd like to think i'd have started with a Jagger, since i was looking at a few of their models as well.
Check out the SuperiorShave website (www.superiorshave.com)
They have a number of Parker razors for $19 including shipping.
Also check out http://www.bathandbodynet.com/cat-Razors-111-2.aspx
they have 6 separate TTO Parker razors
# 22R
# 52
# 60R
#79
#96R
# 90R
for $15 plus $5.45 US shipping.
I keep thinking about buying one to satisfy my RAD and to distribute and balance out my world of imported razors. As of yet, I do not own any Indian razors.
Also according to the SuperiorShave website, the Parker razors have now got a handle on quality contraol and make a much better razor than they used to.
They have a number of Parker razors for $19 including shipping.
Also check out http://www.bathandbodynet.com/cat-Razors-111-2.aspx
they have 6 separate TTO Parker razors
# 22R
# 52
# 60R
#79
#96R
# 90R
for $15 plus $5.45 US shipping.
I keep thinking about buying one to satisfy my RAD and to distribute and balance out my world of imported razors. As of yet, I do not own any Indian razors.
Also according to the SuperiorShave website, the Parker razors have now got a handle on quality contraol and make a much better razor than they used to.
Last edited:
In this age when you can get quality vintage Gillettes for between $15-$30, for me it makes absolutely no sense to pay $40-$50 on any brand of new razor.
Jeff in Boston
I guess you have not seen the $250.00 Gillette Fatboy being sold on EBay right now.
I guess you have not seen the $250.00 Gillette Fatboy being sold on EBay right now.
That's the DeLorean of used razors
I have also had no issues with my Parker, although it is a three piece (a 65R). Having never shaved with a Parker TTO, I don't feel qualified to opine on how well they shave. No other razor seems to elicit the disdain or onslaught of negative opinions. I'm sure some of this is justified but it seems that many of the people who consider them to be "junk" have never used them. There are also a decent number of Parker owners who are quite happy with the razor after actually shaving with them. My take away from all this is as follows; for someone new to DE shaving, I would recommend a razor that gets almost universally good reviews. There seems almost no one here who has had issues with the QC of a Gillette Superspeed or Tech or an EJ. Once you have enough experience to tell if the razor you receive is built properly, then consider a Parker if that still interests you. By then, you should be able to tell if the blade alignment and door function are correct. Buy from one of the vendors that are found on B&B and if there are quality issues at that time, they will usually exchange it for on that works as it should. I would hate to take an attitude that says "never buy a Parker". Just as it is fair to call them out over their quality control issues, it is also fair to objectively evaluate their attempts to improve upon those same issues.
