Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I've been using the Parker 91R now for a couple of months and have fallen in love with it. I stopped using Mach3 and other disposables completely and am currently using Derby Extra blades in the razor. The Parker and Derby combination cuts warm hairs like butter.
The razor is very capable of shaving exceptionally close to the skin. Up until shaving with the Parker 91R, I had never experienced such a close shave. My cheeks were so smooth my skin felt somewhat fake with lotion on it. Gave me a "what the?!?!" reaction the first time. Was accustomed to encountering stubble when using the Mach3 and other disposables. The closely shaven parts were extremely smooth.
The 7AM blades are good to go with at first since they are not quite as sharp as Derby Extras. The 7AM blades are therefore more forgiving when learning how to obtain the proper shaving angle and pressure. I recommend buying a quality badger hair brush and using shaving soap cakes for a really good shave. Following the shave up with some Hempz(tm) lotion leaves skin super soft and smooth. Hempz(tm) doesn't leave a greasy feeling like petroleum-laden lotions.
Some tips for the Parker 91R are...
(1) Use proper pressure. The less pressure against your face, the better. Do not press down like with Mach3 razors -- with a safety razor, you are trying to glide over the skin and cut the hairs, not the skin. Mach3 razors let people get away with bad shaving techniques at the expense of stubbly, non-close shaves.
(2) Use proper angle. The safest and easiest way to learn the proper angle is to start with the smooth, polished top portion of the head touching your skin. The handle will be sticking away from your face at a 90 degree angle -- straight away from your skin surface. While pulling the smooth part of the head across your face, slowly tilt the handle toward the cutting direction. You will hear hairs beginning to cut as you lower the handle -- keep it at the point at which you just start hearing the hairs being cut. That's a good starting point angle to use while learning. Further experimentation can be used once proper technique and feel is obtained...get a good feel for the razor first though.
(3) Use a good quality shaving soap or shaving gel. You want good lubrication and moisturizing properties.
(4) Shaving right after a hot shower makes hairs easier to cut.
(5) Shave with the hair grain (growth direction) at first and see if that gives a close enough shave. If more closeness is desired, re-lather and shave again across (sideways) or against the grain. Against the grain shaving causes ingrown hairs on some people. However, I have yet to get any nasty ingrown hairs from the Parker 91R and my skin is very sensitive.
(6) Take things slow and use short strokes. Don't shave like the guys on Mach3 commercials. It will throw the razor angle off the ideal position. Use short shaving strokes and take things slow -- you will be surprised at the results.
(7) Follow your shave up with some sort of lotion that isn't greasy and won't clog pores. I like Hempz(tm) lotion since it does a great job, smells fantastic, protects my freshly shaved skin, and disappears
without leaving any greasy feeling.
(8) Expect a few cuts the first week or so of shaving until you get a good feel for the razor and how dual-edge safety razors behave. The cuts are always superficial and stop bleeding without much fuss. Not like a cut from a disposable. After a few weeks or so of shaving, you should be able to shave without any cuts while still obtaining a very close shave.
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I really like the fact that the Parker 91R allows me to shave multiple days in a row without turning my neck into a warzone. It leaves my problem spots smooth without ingrown hairs and massive amounts of skin irritation. A very fine razor for people like me with sensitive skin and those looking to save money by breaking free of the multi-blade disposable price wars.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Parker 91R Super Heavyweight Double Edge Safety Razor & 10 Shark Chrome Blades
