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REVIEW : Parker 68S (open comb) & Parker 91R (closed comb)

PARKER 68S OPEN COMB & PARKER 91R CLOSED COMB

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I bought a Parker 91R some months ago, it arrived in a red/white box but, the blade sat significantly prouder on one side than the other so I sent it back. There was just something about the Parker’s that was giving me a bad itch to buy another, so after a bit of research on some vendors in the UK, I bought a Parker 91R and 68S from one, who seems to mainly stock the entire range of Parker’s razors as one of their primary stocks. Both razors arrived in identical black boxes and look like new stock.

FIT & FINISH

The handles on both have deep knurling which will always provide a secure, slip free grip with no signs of areas that remain unfinished and these handles are a personal preference of mine. The heads and cap on both the 91R and 68S were finished well with no evidence of the old tales where some material/defect may be present and require smoothing off. The blades seated securely with even alignment on the closed comb 91R and minimal effort hold and adjust the blade tabs when tightening the the handle on the 68S.

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WEIGHT & BALANCE

Both the 91R (85g) and 68S (110g) are genuinely hefty units (another personal preference of mine) and feel assertive in the hand.

The 68S has the majority of its weight in the top third of the razor. Comparatively the 91R has most of its weight in the top ½ of the razor but feels more evenly balanced throughout. Both razors allow you to angle and conform to the contours of your face effortlessly despite their weight. The overall heft is transferred into head ensuring a light consistent touch is suffice and also helps maintain the desire angle with ease.

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THE SHAVE

(For all testing and comparison reviews, I always use a new Astra SP blade and the same shaving cream).

The Parker’s tend to have a general reputation of being moderately aggressive shavers. I found both of them to be moderately smooth at various angles, no signs of aggression but reasonably efficient giving a bit of useful blade feel. They glide along the skin smoothly, doing a fine job on the first pass without any signs of drag, stutter or being slowed down around the chin area where the whiskers are denser.

On the second pass, the Parker 91R gave me a closer finish after 2 passes in comparison to an ATT Calypso R1. The Parker 68S (open comb) got me somewhat closer still than the 91R. However, both the Parker 91R and 68S didn’t get as close as the Muhle R96 Rocca/R41 over 2 passes but, delivered a perfectly smooth, irritation free and pleasantly closer shave than I expected. Personally, the closed and open comb Parker’s would need a Feather blade in them to make me happy.

SUMMARY

Parker razors appear to have improved in quality as of late offering, well thought out razors giving an overall satisfying shave at very, very affordable prices. Match it with a sharp blade to make light work for coarse hairs but, can be easily tamed down with smoother blades for anyone who may find it to be a tad aggressive.

(Reviews coming over the next few days : Above The Tie Stainless H1, Fatip Grande)
 
Thanks guys, non variant Parker razors is not something I have seen mentioned much on the B&B forum so hope it does help someone one day.
 
I also have a Parker 68S, purchased from Amazon. The handle quality is really good. You can tell it's steel, it has some real heft. The head is obviously cast metal of some sort (probably zamac) but is decent quality. If you look closely, the chrome plating isn't as nice as a Muhle, although it's probably comparable with the Merkurs I've had.

Aggressiveness/efficiency is in the middle. I find that it's not as aggressive as my 1920s Gillette NEW open comb. I like the 68S better than the Merkur 38C and the Gillette SS Red Tip, but I prefer the Gillette NEW open comb to all of them. Overall, I feel the 68S is a good value and it will stay in my den.

I am surprised this razor hasn't been mentioned more often. I'm glad to see Parker kicking up their product line a few notches.
 
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