The Parker Variant and Mergress Adjustable: A Side by Side Test and Review

[NDM63]

A few days ago I shaved with the Variant, using the very efficient method of increasing aggression on each pass, and using a new Silver Star blade. I got a very, very good shave. The Silver Star pairs well and the Variant was absolutely excellent. It delivered a very close comfortable shave. It's rapidly moving to the top tier of my regular rotation!

Agreed, Variant moving up.[/QUOTE]
Excellent, have you experimented again with increasing the aggression on each pass?

 

[Reinier Ramirez]

Yes, working on it! Yesterday I went back to the 6s on my regular 5 plate and weepers galore. I think the Variant is way smoother and the 6s requires a little bit more attention!

 

[Early8Q]

Nice review. However, I feel that I need to add my experience because it is not consistent with the review. I bought the silver version of the Parker Variant. I really like the look and feel of this adjustable in my hand. After enjoying the first few shaves it became more obvious that the head is not aligned, or symmetrical. With different blades and careful inspection I kept trying, but the blade would never set up the same on both sides. Without this problem, I would say this razor a great one, but without symmetry, I can not recommend it. I am back to the enjoying my favorite modified adjustable.

 

[NDM63]

Nice review. However, I feel that I need to add my experience because it is not consistent with the review. I bought the silver version of the Parker Variant. I really like the look and feel of this adjustable in my hand. After enjoying the first few shaves it became more obvious that the head is not aligned, or symmetrical. With different blades and careful inspection I kept trying, but the blade would never set up the same on both sides. Without this problem, I would say this razor a great one, but without symmetry, I can not recommend it. I am back to the enjoying my favorite modified adjustable.

I have one of the current batch, no problems in that regard.

 

[GlazedBoker]

Eric Maier still produces the Mergress. There are a few different variations of them over at Bullgoose shaving. They are very pleasing to the eye. But at almost double the cost for a Variant, I see no real distinctive advantage. I've never shaved with a Mergress, but have shaved with a Variant and Progress and give the edge to the Variant in terms of shave, weight and quality. That's just my experience.......

 

[GlazedBoker]

Nice review. However, I feel that I need to add my experience because it is not consistent with the review. I bought the silver version of the Parker Variant. I really like the look and feel of this adjustable in my hand. After enjoying the first few shaves it became more obvious that the head is not aligned, or symmetrical. With different blades and careful inspection I kept trying, but the blade would never set up the same on both sides. Without this problem, I would say this razor a great one, but without symmetry, I can not recommend it. I am back to the enjoying my favorite modified adjustable.

Are the top cap and base plate notches aligned properly?

 

[Early8Q]

Are the top cap and base plate notches aligned properly?

I have tried different blades in addition to reversing the alignment caps in an effort to correct the alignment issue. I do like the shave I get from the razor, but I can't tolerate that one side is two levels of aggression higher or lower than the other.

I also have a "Lee's Mergress" Long and a "Bullgoose Mergress" FWIW. The Bullgoose Mergress being from the new Merkur Progress mold. The standard Mergress is my current favorite, although with proper alignment, the Parker would be right in the same zone.

 

[User 306]

I guess I'm on the Variant train. I just sold my Mergress and although it gave me a good shave it never felt quite right weight wise and it was a little bit slippery in hand. I actually like the shave I get on my growth better and the Variant feels much better in hand. Although I haven't had as much time with the Variant as I've had with the Mergress so far it's a thumbs up.

 

[Batman]

I had my maiden voyage with my new Variant...Wow!! I like it much better than the Mergress I used to own. Great balance and weight.

Fresh PermaSharp and some Tabula Rasa Steam Punk. I began at 2.5 for the first pass, then 4 for the second pass. Started feeling the blade a bit. Kept it at 4 for ATG on cheeks and then dialed it down to 1.5 for the rest of the ATG pass.

BBS...faceturbating all day...

 

[Highspeedlane]

If the Variant shaves as well as the Merkur Progress it will definitely sell. Had my Progress out this morning with a new Gillette 7O'clock Super Stainless. I had it adjusted out to something around "2" and had a really great shave. I could feel the blade, feel the efficiency, yet it was smooth and easy to use.

Eventually I have a feeling a Variant will be making it's way to my mailbox

 

[ptyrider]

I shaved using exactly the same setting on both razors WTG at setting #2, XTG at setting #3 and AGT at setting #4. Final cleanup, touch up, buffing and J-hooking was done at setting #4.5.

This test seems to assume the settings correspond exactly on the two different razors. Is that fair? Sharpologist says

The Variant’s adjustment range is wide, though the low end appears to be not quite as low as a Progress (or at least my Progress): a “2” on my Progress corresponds to about a “1.5” on my Variant.
--https://sharpologist.com/2016/11/parker-variant-adjustable-safety-razor.html​

A slightly different setting in the Parker might have produced better results.

 

[cw62803]

Phenomenal review and write up. Thank you.

 

[Sausage]

I think Parker Variant is one of the best DE razors at the moment. The weight, grip and the feeling of smoothness is exceptionally good. There is something really nice on the coating of the top cap that makes this razor just glide smoothly on the face.

 

[MUDHOLDER]

I bought my mergress a fee years ago from Lees razors and I haven't had the need to buy another adjustable. Untill I heard about the new rockwell model T . I am a razor junky and im thinking hard about pre ordering. Its supposed to be shipped some time in may 2018. I'll let ya know about when Ive used it for a few weeks. Writing this i made my mind up to pre-order

 

[lak611]

Thanks for the review. I know this is an old thread, but I got the Parker Variant as a suggestion from Amazon, probably since I purchased a long handled Progress. I'm happy with the Progress and have no issues with the plastic knob. Your review saved me from spending money on a razor that I don't need. [emoji4]

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[jmudrick]

The short handle Progress wasn't broke, it has fine balance, so it's kind of amusing to read remorseful Mergress owners who spent as much for a knob as a razor...well never mind...I'm happy with my vintage Progress .

Sent from my LG-US998 using Tapatalk

 

[THall]

The Parker Variant and the Mergress Adjustable
A Side by Side Test and Review

Summary:
The Parker Variant is an excellent, well made adjustable razor; much more readily available than the Mergress and cheaper. But it's not noticeably better in use, and may not be any better that the Mekrur Progress.

Why this Comparison?
I chose to test these two razors because I wanted to see whether a close copy of the Merkur Progress was in fact an improvement, and if the Parker Variant was in fact a better buy. Now I know what your thinking I'm testing the Variant against an enhanced Progress, the Mergress, so isn't that unfair? Well yes, it is a little. The Mergress (I believe modified by Eric Mer?) replaces that nasty plastic knob on the Progress with a chrome knob, but more importantly ensured that the settings were consistent. I bought my Mergress second hand. Some report that you have to press the handle into the head initially on the standard production Progress for correct alignment, but I have never found blade alignment or settings with my Mergress to be an issue.

The Razors
In fact I don't own a Progress! However my Mergress has the same head as the Progress, and so I think the test is fair. There is more: The Mergress is hard to get hold of. I believe there are none in production currently. When available they range from about $60 to over $150. By contrast the Variant is readily and widely available from a number of re-sellers and the importers Super Safety Razors.

I have used my Mergress many times with many different blades and it is probably my second favorite razor at this time; just a shade behind my new love, the RR Wunderbar slant, in terms of efficiency. However, being adjustable it's probably more user friendly to a wider range of folk than the Wunderbar, because it can be set at a very mild setting, as can the Variant.

I've shaved with the Varaint only five times. I started with a slick looking black handled version. However, the blacking peeled immediately. Howie and Helen being very attentive and honest business people, replaced it instantly with the satin version. I believe the black handled version has been temporarily withdrawn, whilst they amend this production glitch.

Visually the heads are very similar. The Variant has four drainage holes on the bottom of the base plate, and the Mergress has none, but the wide channel under the blade in both razors make rinsing easy.

They are both two piece razors, with long handles and quite heavy. Amongst the biggest, and heaviest razors I own, and some of the longest and heaviest on the DE market. I feel the Mergress is a little better balanced, but they are both very easy to use. They are both easy to use around the problem areas of the neck, jawline and chin, and under the nose. The Mergress looks a little more solidly built, and the screw joining the head seems stouter on the Mergress, but this does not affect performance in the Variant.

Aesthetically I much prefer the bright chrome of the Mergress to the dull satin of the Variant, but this is a test of efficiency, not beauty, which, I confess, remains in the eye of the beholder!

How I Use and Adjustable Razor
When using an adjustable, (and following advice from others on this forum, including Jim Chandler, plus my own long experimentation) I've found the best way, for the smoothest and most comfortable shave is to INCREASE the aggression with each pass. It seems counter-intuitive at first but it really works best. It's like lowering the blade on a lawn mower to get a closer cut. I increased the aggression on each pass on this test.

With these razors I wanted especially to test them in the upper range (more aggressive) of their setting for three reasons. Firstly, because a number of users switch to an adjustable razor because they want the option of a more aggressive razor. Secondly, because I wanted to feel how these razors compared with other more aggressive razors, and to some extent other adjustable razors. Lastly, because I only had a moderate amount of growth and when this is the case I use a more aggressive razor because this produces a close shave with minimal irritation.

I shaved using exactly the same setting on both razors WTG at setting #2, XTG at setting #3 and AGT at setting #4. Final cleanup, touch up, buffing and J-hooking was done at setting #4.5.

My previous shave was about 22 hours before when I tested the the Merkur Futur and it's clone the Ming Shi 2000s against each other. That test left me with a close, long-lasting shave, so the growth was only moderate. But I have a fast growing, coarse beard, so I think this is a reasonable test.

The Blade used for the Test
I chose to use the Rapira Platinum Lux. I've found this blade to be consistent and reliable in just about every shaver, and it's always good for at least four shaves, often six, in just about any razor. It's sharp, smooth, comfortable, quite cheap, and easily available and my personal favorite of the Rapira line.

I have had many close comfortable shaves with my Mergress using this blade, and so I felt it was reasonable to assume that the very similar Parker Variant would like this blade too. Indeed it did. I loaded each razor with a blade that had been used for one previous shave. Again a deliberate choice because most of us don't shave with a brand new blade every day. From many shaves with many other razors using this blade, I knew that the Rapira Platinum Lux would have plenty of life left in it.

The Routine
For testing I go through the same routine.

I clean my face and wet the beard by washing with a glycerin soap. I rinse off the soap, wet it thoroughly and apply two drops of a pre-shave oil.

I use an Arko shave stick applied directly to the beard and lather with a Stirling Synthetic “Kong” brush. I rinse and lather again between passes. I thoroughly rinse the head of the razor between passes. I remove the blade from the razor when I'm done. I dry it with a microfiber cloth. Naturally I dry the razor too when I'm done.

I finish with an Alum block which is a good indicator of razor burn or irritation.

The Shave
I used the Variant on the right half of my face the Mergress on the left half, switching razors between passes. My beard growth is very even, with perhaps the left being a touch more challenging, so the Mergress had the harder job but only very slightly so.

The WTG pass was smooth, comfortable and easy with both razors. No perceptible difference.

XTG was also very good with both razors, but I noticed a difference; I had to do a little more work with the Variant and it did not feel quite as smooth as the Mergress.

AGT is often where the rubber meets the road, or perhaps more accurately the blade meets the face! Both razors did a fine job, but the Mergress felt smoother, especially under the nose, where I had to shave a little more gingerly with the Variant.

In the buff and touch up, I had to do more with the Variant to get the BBS result, but it got there.

No nicks, cuts, or weepers from either razor, and a BBS result. Feedback from the alum block was minimal with perhaps a touch more from the side shaved with Variant, reflecting the fact that I had to do more work there.

Conclusion
Would I swap my Mergress for the Variant? Absolutely not. I believe the Mergress is better and perhaps by extension the Progress is too. However the Variant is a very fine razor, with a better look than the standard Progress, with a better adjustment knob, and usually cheaper to buy.

Despite some rave review for the Variant (including Mantic59) I don't think the Variant is the new holy grail. However, it's very good, an excellent adjustable, and I'm happy to include it in my rotation. I congratulate Parker for bringing a new adjustable to the market; it's long overdue.

If you own a Mergress, is it worth buying a Variant? Only if you're a RAD addict like me! If you have a Progress? Probably not either. If you are buying your first adjustable the Variant is in my estimation a better first choice than the Futur, or Ming Shi 2000s, because it has milder settings. It may be a better value that the Progress, but I doubt a better shaver.



I will do a side by side test against my Gillette Slim, but my guess is the Variant is probably better, especially as it's not always easy to buy a vintage adjustable where the setting work well. Ditto the Fatboy.



Let me know what your own experimentation and experiences have revealed!

I stumbled on this a long time ago, try placing your Mergress/Progress top cap on that Variant and see how much smoother it is. You might have to adjust your settings somewhat as the Variant is more aggressive with the Merkur top cap, but is just incredible. Also better under the nose with that slimmer cap just like the Merkur.

I switched out the cap permanently and calibrated the adjustment using the number under the Merkur cap as my “Notch” for lining it up. Used the handle turn method on one of Mantic59’s videos to calibrate the cap to line up with the Variant. Easy to do and the handle turn method works exactly the same as with the Progress. Make sure the blade is out, use a towel and turn while being careful not to bend at all. You don’t have to calibrate to try this, just use basic math unless you decide to make it permanent like I did.

Bought 2 more Variants for my sons, calibrated them with additional Merkur caps I bought and got a few spares. If you do make it permanent, make the + is your first setting instead of 1 as the change will make the Variant roughly 2 settings more aggressive.