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The Parker Variant is Available!

Funkhauser

Funkhauser

GlazedBoker said:
OK. First real full shave with this fine tool from Parker. Just plain excellent. But first:
Quality: The look, fit and feel is just fabulous. The knurling on the handle is spot on. Not overly done, but exactly what is needed to keep it from slipping in your hands, regardless if your elbows deep into your favorite soap. Small hands, big hands should be no problem. If it falls, it's because you dropped it. Finish is really nice with a semi gunmetal matte finish. The head, blade and bottom plate match up and align themselves perfectly. Just make sure the alignment markings are on the same side.
The Shave:
Here's the set up. WSP Formula T Tobacco, UrbanXY pre-shave oil
Kai blade, Semogue 1305 boar, and the Variant set at #4.
First pass= WTG. Excellent whisker slicer. And with this Kai blade, it's an awesome combo. Smooth, effortless with great razor feedback on 3 day hair growth. The razor, blade, and the soap combination was so effortless, I had to look a few times to make sure it was on the correct setting and the blade was still there. First pass was done and honestly I felt I had done 2 passes. Yes, that smooth.
Second pass= ATG. This was basically a thorough touch up and buff. The first pass was that efficient. And I must say, the new Kai blade is super sharp, but smooth. I'd say as sharp as the Feather, but smoother and it just floated on my face.

All I all, a wonderful shave. The razor is beautiful, has the perfect weight and balance in your hand. Finish is superb, the adjustment knob was spot on every time. 1 was 1, 3 was 3 and so forth. Precise, plain and simple. I love my Progress, but it is not as precise as the Variant or as beautiful. And with the Progress you have to hold the head and blade to make sure the it aligns properly to the base plate. And yes both alignment markings are lined up, but at times it can be off just a smidgen. Not on the Variant, I removed and reinstalled the head and blade at least a dozen times and it lined up perfectly with even blade exposure and gap on both sides.
Bottom line is this, it provided as good and close a shave as my Vision. And that's saying a lot. Because for me, the Merkur Vision is my gold standard on adjustable DE'S. The Parker Variant is right there on par with it. It's the real deal gents, and for under $60 it's a true bargain. Get one while you can..... :thumbup1:
View attachment 711072
Click to expand...
Great review and setup!
 
Funkhauser

Funkhauser

Shave number 2 with the Variant this morning and it just keeps getting better. Under my chin is my rough spot. With my Progress XL set anywhere between 3-5, I usually end up blade buffing that area quite a bit to get it relatively smooth. With the Variant this morning, Astra Sp (2), my chin was almost smooth from a three pass shave without an buffing. I buffed that area just a little and found it to be smooth!!! I can't explain why this shaves better for me, but it just does. I feels heavy and solid without any play in the knob, like the Progress.

I never knew why my fellow members here cleared out their dens and sold all but a few until using this razor. No, I am not going to sell anything, because I have ADs and love having the items. This is now my desert island razor!

To Space-Cadet. I believe GlazedBoker perfectly addressed the knob, alignment, and calibration issues that have plagued the Progress, but are of no issue with the Variant.

Happy shaving!

 
Gort69

Gort69

Mine arrived today! 3 days from placing the order to delivery - East coast to Seattle.. GREAT service from SSR.

 
tumblty

tumblty

I just tried out my Variant for the first time this morning. I have been shaving with my Mergress XL for some time. I found the Parker to be the equal of the Mergress. I like the light weight of it too. So now I am down to four razors in my rotation, Mergress XL, Muhle R41 (old and new) and the Parker Variant. Nice job Parker.
 
htownmmm

htownmmm

Ordered the Black variant yesterday; it was shipped today. If things work out, I should be shaving with it by Wednesday...


marty
 
O

oldjoe

Can't wait to try one!!! Always looking for the one, the better, the unbeatable, and the greatest possible, closest shave----for ME!!! It is a HOBBY after all, but also a necessity if you are not a beard lover! And, I am not!
 
kluber

kluber

So, I got a Parker Variant for Christmas and have had a few shaves with it. I will upload pics later as I am not in a location to easily upload photos.

First off, its a great razor for the money, and I'm a sucker for adjustables so its a win-win (or lose-lose on the pocket book) for me.

A couple of thoughts on a brief review. I have not owned the Progress/Mergress but do own a Merkur Futur so I will compare it to the futur.

Construction: The quality is nice for the price. There is only one machine blemish on the handle of mine but otherwise it has a nice finish. Top cap finish is really good. The matte look is also sleek as you can tell from the photos, but aesthetics are purely subjective. I'll post the blemish on the handle later so you can see what I am referring to, but its so mild that it makes no difference in relation to the cost. The action on adjustment is smooth. Without a blade it zeros out at setting 1. With a loaded blade (feather or personna), it zeroes at 1.5 on mine unless I really crank down to tighten which the instructions say to avoid. The adjustment will go from 1-5 and then again from 1-5 without loosening the screw, so you can really open up the razor all the way to 10 if you wanted to. I will likely just stay in the 1-5 range. My only small complaint is that the handle, while it looks "grippy", is a bit more slippery than I anticipated when wet. The action knob for adjustments has a good amount of grip as the diamond cut is a little more rough/larger on the adjustment knob, and I wish they would have made the entire handle with this level of grip.

The shave: Who cares on the above? How does it shave!!! Bottom line, its a very smooth shaver. Even on the higher settings, the blade feel is minor but it remains efficient (on higher settings). In comparison to other razors, its not nearly as aggressive on lower settings as the Futur. I find 3.5 to be a pretty good spot for me, and sometimes dial it down to 2.5-3 for final touch ups. But anything at 2 or below is a bit too mild for my taste. The razor is also heavy. So if you like heavy razors, you will find it satisfying. And the weight helps from providing too much pressure in the shave, which we all suffer from time to time. I also found the wide opening (similar to the progress design) with opening slots does well at moving through thick lather without a lot of rinse.... this is really a minor thing but I found it nice addition on the razor.

Overall, great value if you like adjustables for the cost. Its zamak so I know some will avoid just because of the materials used, but its a good one if that doesn't bother you much. Good, smooth and efficient shaves. (I mostly used it with a feather blade).

Thanks for reading. Cheers!
 
GlazedBoker

GlazedBoker

kluber said:
So, I got a Parker Variant for Christmas and have had a few shaves with it. I will upload pics later as I am not in a location to easily upload photos.

First off, its a great razor for the money, and I'm a sucker for adjustables so its a win-win (or lose-lose on the pocket book) for me.

A couple of thoughts on a brief review. I have not owned the Progress/Mergress but do own a Merkur Futur so I will compare it to the futur.

Construction: The quality is nice for the price. There is only one machine blemish on the handle of mine but otherwise it has a nice finish. Top cap finish is really good. The matte look is also sleek as you can tell from the photos, but aesthetics are purely subjective. I'll post the blemish on the handle later so you can see what I am referring to, but its so mild that it makes no difference in relation to the cost. The action on adjustment is smooth. Without a blade it zeros out at setting 1. With a loaded blade (feather or personna), it zeroes at 1.5 on mine unless I really crank down to tighten which the instructions say to avoid. The adjustment will go from 1-5 and then again from 1-5 without loosening the screw, so you can really open up the razor all the way to 10 if you wanted to. I will likely just stay in the 1-5 range. My only small complaint is that the handle, while it looks "grippy", is a bit more slippery than I anticipated when wet. The action knob for adjustments has a good amount of grip as the diamond cut is a little more rough/larger on the adjustment knob, and I wish they would have made the entire handle with this level of grip.

The shave: Who cares on the above? How does it shave!!! Bottom line, its a very smooth shaver. Even on the higher settings, the blade feel is minor but it remains efficient (on higher settings). In comparison to other razors, its not nearly as aggressive on lower settings as the Futur. I find 3.5 to be a pretty good spot for me, and sometimes dial it down to 2.5-3 for final touch ups. But anything at 2 or below is a bit too mild for my taste. The razor is also heavy. So if you like heavy razors, you will find it satisfying. And the weight helps from providing too much pressure in the shave, which we all suffer from time to time. I also found the wide opening (similar to the progress design) with opening slots does well at moving through thick lather without a lot of rinse.... this is really a minor thing but I found it nice addition on the razor.

Overall, great value if you like adjustables for the cost. Its zamak so I know some will avoid just because of the materials used, but its a good one if that doesn't bother you much. Good, smooth and efficient shaves. (I mostly used it with a feather blade).

Thanks for reading. Cheers!
Click to expand...

Nice review. I can't say much about the quality and finish aspect that you described with yours, I had no issues with finish and feel of the razor. The adjustment knob on mine was of by a 16th, with a blade installed. Minor in my book, but it has to be mentioned for those who are a little more in tune with those things. I agree wholeheartedly that the Futur feels to be a more aggressive razor throughout it's range of adjustment. Maybe that would have to do with blade gap and how the top cap and adjustment mechanism work in conjunction with each other that gives it that aggressiveness. The Variant I feel gives a very efficient shave, and feels smoother throughout it's range than the Futur. I feel less of the blade on the Variant than I do on the Futur, if that makes any sense. Again, I believe it has to do with the design and geometry of the Parker Variant compared with that of the Merkur Futur. Two distinct but wonderful tools in obtaining a BBS shave, and both deliver on that.
 
kluber

kluber

GlazedBoker said:
Nice review. I can't say much about the quality and finish aspect that you described with yours, I had no issues with finish and feel of the razor. The adjustment knob on mine was of by a 16th, with a blade installed. Minor in my book, but it has to be mentioned for those who are a little more in tune with those things. I agree wholeheartedly that the Futur feels to be a more aggressive razor throughout it's range of adjustment. Maybe that would have to do with blade gap and how the top cap and adjustment mechanism work in conjunction with each other that gives it that aggressiveness. The Variant I feel gives a very efficient shave, and feels smoother throughout it's range than the Futur. I feel less of the blade on the Variant than I do on the Futur, if that makes any sense. Again, I believe it has to do with the design and geometry of the Parker Variant compared with that of the Merkur Futur. Two distinct but wonderful tools in obtaining a BBS shave, and both deliver on that.
Click to expand...

Agree, its a smoother shave than the Futur -- mostly as you said based on very little blade feel in comparison but its just as efficient to me as well. I have not cranked it up though, so perhaps at higher settings it feels more aggressive? The cosmetic issues on mine were very minor and only noted to be objective in review. The knob adjustment (with blade loaded) not zeroing at 1 on mine was not a big deal to me, but maybe others would not agree. I think the matte finish is very nice for the price. Perhaps you shared this view too, I cannot remember, but I do wish the handle had a little better grip, similar to the grip on the adjustment knob which is good. (and zamak does have downsides).

Thanks for sharing your views on the razor as well. I think you had the first comprehensive review (outside of mantic59) of this razor! And I appreciate your insights on the geometry, I think its a great point of razor comparison. I honestly cannot imagine this getting a bad review, its a heck of a modern adjustable for the price. I would heartily recommend it too.
 
BigPete

BigPete

I had my third shave with mine this morning. The razor itself is very well made, I like the matte chrome finish, it is evenly applied with no obvious imperfections. The knurling on the handle and the adjustment barrel is very good and provides a secure grip in wet hands. The heft and length are adequate, my main razor was a Parker 99R which is longer and heavier so the Variant feels a little small. Having used TTO razors exclusively I find loading the blade to be a little clumsy. I definitely need to pay more attention when changing blades.

As for the shave, I am using a setting of 3-3.5 on my WTG and XTG passes. So far I feel that a 1.5-2 setting will let me do an ATG pass every day, something I don't normally do. I still need to play with the blade angle, the sweet spot seems a little narrow. Or maybe it's just me. I still need time to learn this razor. In any event it is a very smooth razor and I was able to achieve a BBS shave the second time using it and repeat it again today.

So far it seems to be a good razor and a bargain compared to the Merkur adjustables. If I can dial in the angle I will probably knock the Rockwell 6S off of my "to Purchase" list. Once I feel completely comfortable with it I will post a more complete review.
 
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threevok

threevok

I've yet to use mine. I noticed an ill-defined triangle inside the tray (is that the term?). Perhaps it's an assembly guide. It's on the side opposite the top cap notch. Anyone else?


$IMG_0339.JPG
 
T

Timmy74

Mine has what appears to be tooling marks across the top cap a complete trail, and some pitting :/

$122816 033.PNG$122816 034.PNG
 
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