Customer Reviews

Parker SR1 Stainless Steel Straight Edge Razor and 5 Shark Super Stainless blades

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(37)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Full disclaimer: the blood is my own fault. I'm a straight-razor novice. Given time, I'm sure, I would be an expert.

This is a decent, entry level straight razor. If you're given to epileptic fits, seizures, constant tremors in your limbs, or are generally a royal klutz, please steer clear of this product. If the above descriptors do not apply, then read on.

The handle affords a nice grip, the blade holder swings a full 180 degrees to choose the angle most suited to your own style, and the best part ... the angle holds! The last thing one needs to worry about is having the blade arm swing wildly as one prepares to maul one's face.

I had numerous cuts and nicks on the first attempt. The second attempt resulted in a smaller blood loss, but I did see red.
The key is to shave right after a decent shower. Lather, lather, lather. I cannot overstress the importance of lathering up. Even after you've covered the visage under a nice, thick coat of lather, periodically touch it up with the brush dipped in warm water (foam will cool off rapidly on your face).
Plan your shave. This is one morning activity that definitely requires alertness. Have your morning coffee/tea if you're so inclined. Do NOT drink those fluids if they give you the shakes! Plan your attack. Identify the areas you will work on first. Have the dehumidifying fan on, or wait for the after-shower mist to clear. Alert your family members not to unleash any practical jokes right about now.
Start with small, even strokes of the blade. I recommend working on smooth, flat areas like the cheeks and mustache. I bought this razor to use in conjunction with he Parker 22R (http://amzn.com/B0017QSZY4). A wise move indeed. It will be weeks before I attempt the neck and chin with the straight razor.
A very important point to consider is this - what will be the angle of incidence of the blade on face? Simply put, how much will you incline the blade when it meets the skin? Too flat (almost parallel to the face) and you're removing foam and slicing air. Too inclined and you're a menace to yourself. You will have to figure this out yourself. It depends on your skin, hair type, heaviness of growth, etc. Most importantly, it depends on your skill. Also, start with a very light touch. Don't press the razor in to your skin, but figure out how light is too light (you're not shaving at all) and then increase the pressure very judiciously.

Once you get the hang of this wonderful implement, you will have the best shaving experience of your life. The closest thing to the fabled barbershop shave.

Be safe and happy shaving!

I know, stupid review title. But what wasn't stupid was my purchase of the Parker SR1 stainless steel razor. After viewing straight edge shaving videos on Youtube (which I recommend), I became fascinated with the thought of trying it myself. When I saw the prices for disposable blades for the straight edge, I saw $ signs.

I think it really has become criminal what companies like Schick and Gillette are charging for disposable blades. They've also become completely carried away with creating blades with as many as five razors! Apparently you also need a battery for some, why, I have no idea. I used to use Atra Plus double blades with some sort of moisturizing strip. I even bought generic Rite Aid brands which were much cheaper but they were still about $1 per blade. I also typically got only a week out of a razor because of all the shaving cream and stubble that got caught between the blades. Trying to shave Monday after skipping the weekend usually meant changing the blade or trying to scrape all that gunk out of there. Yes, it's what I and most Americans have been raised on and it's definitely easier than a straight edge.

I originally purchased 100 Derby brand blades ($8.49), the plastic shaving factory razor, and a vile of styptic powder (you'll need this) all for about $22. That's 100 blades which last about 5-7 days depending on how thick your beard is. You can do the math but you don't need to be Einstein to know you are saving an unbelievable amount of money on razor blades. The problem with the plastic Shaving Factory razor I bought is that it's simply cheaply made. Eventually the round hinge will wear down and your razor will swing freely. The Parker is all metal, it holds the blade much more tightly and you'll discover there's a little rust on both razors when you change blades. The Parker is much easier to clean with a little toilet paper and water. I personally believe that the Parker for some reason, maybe due to its sturdiness, causes much fewer nicks and cuts. All in all, it's a great well made, professional straight razor.

This is a longer review than I intended but I might as well give you the heads up on shaving with a straight razor. The good news first, you CAN learn to shave with a straight razor and nick yourself very infrequently, like anything else it takes practice. For example, I haven't had a single nick in 2 or 3 weeks of daily shaving. I use regular shaving cream, maybe a brush is better but Edge gel with Aloe Vera is fine for me. I can get a good close shave in about 5 or 6 minutes. Then again I've been doing this for about 6 months and perfecting my technique.

Now for the bad news, in the beginning, you will cut yourself. One time I cut myself bad enough to consider tossing the blades and razor asking myself "I can easily afford regular disposable razors, why am I putting myself through this?" You will come to a point where you'll wonder if it's worth the hassle and some will go back to disposable Gillette's or maybe an electric razor. That's fine, I'm not an evangelist for straight razors. Then again, if you're careful (practically run the razor horizontal to your skin, remember the angle of attack is about 10 degrees, that's nearly horizontal to your skin), don't rush, keep the skin wet and add shaving cream to areas you want to shave again, go SLOW in the beginning, watch Youtube videos for some pointers. Rinse the razor in cold water. Shave after a shower or after washing your face with hot water. The upper lip was tough until I realized I can push my nose out of the way! Stretch your skin, contort your face to get as much of a horizontal surface as you can. Develop a routine and shave the same way every time.

Well that's about it, sorry about going on so long, this was supposed to be a review about the Parker SR1 and yes, I highly recommend it. Apparently it's what professional barbers who still give shaves use. It's a little odd how the blade fits in the razor but you'll get used to it quickly. Regarding my shaving experiences and advice, I hope it helps. I don't know exactly when it happened, but there was a day when I said, "Hey, I haven't cut myself in 2 or 3 weeks". After I noticed while changing blades I had used about 1/4 or 26 of the 100 blades I figure probably six months. I hope my advice helps and you will learn to master shaving with a straight razor in half the time it took me. Good luck.

I know another reviewer had an issue with the arabic writing all over it, but I personally thought that it was sort of cool. As far as performance go's, I have no issues with it. This is an upgrade from another disposable straight razor I bought from my barber a few years ago. I had originally wanted to try it out and wanted something a little nicer which is why I went with the stainless steel holder. Considering there are other "high end" disposable straight razors out there for almost 5 to 10 times the price, you really can't go wrong with this one at all.

i paid seventy dollars for a dovo shavette and it was absolutely useless. i cut my self the very first time i used it and the razors are hard to find. I go to a barber and a shave lasts me a week but costs too much. i didn't want to give up but i figured it was a waste of time. i had to try one more time but this time with a razor that accepts the same style razor as my barbers so i tried this one, and you know what, i can put my barber to shame. it is worth every penny. i must admit that this particular one is a little weird with arabic writing all over it but nonetheless a wonderful razor. very cheap compared to other ones

I have been interested in straight razor shaving for about the past year. I finally took the plunge and purchased a decent razor at an antique shop. There are two problems, however: 1) I'm not entirely ready to make the financial plunge to buy good water stones and leather strops, and 2) I didn't want to waste all of the Derby blades I have for my Gillette Double Edge safety razor.

Solution? Buy a Parker SR1 "straight razor" as an interim solution!

Okay, I've been using this razor for the past 3 weeks or so with my Derby DE blades snapped in half. The learning curve was about the same as the learning curve I had going into safety razor shaving: about a week and a half.

I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that my shaves are now better than ever. Closer, less irritation... and more enjoyable! All things that I noticed when I went from the Gillette Fusion to a safety razor, only now they're just that much better. As far as the razor itself is concerned, I couldn't be happier. It feels very good in the hand, has a nice weight, and holds the blades very securely. The swing is reasonably tight, so I don't ever feel worried about the angle changing mid-stroke.

If you decide to take the plunge (and I would encourage you to do so if you are even to the point of reading reviews for this razor!), there are three things I would recommend to you:

1) If you don't already have a blade that you prefer, pick up a sample pack of blades from West Coast Shaving and pick what works best for your face/skin. Then you can buy a larger pack of that brand. A 100 pack of Derby blades cost me $20... that's 200 blade refills for this razor!

2) Until you get the hang of straight razor shaving... go slow! You will cut yourself at first: accept this right now. But you can minimize the cuts and potential danger by being careful and taking your time.

3) Enjoy yourself. Straight razor shaving is starting to become very enjoyable for me, which has a two-fold effect. First, I don't mind now that it takes a bit longer to complete the shave. Second, I'm more at ease with the process and find that I have better control of the blade when I'm enjoying my time.

I originally bought this razor to keep my hairline edged up. I had been doing so with a Gillette razor, but it was hard to see because the handle and plastic of the cartridge covered up the blades, usually causing me to shave too much off.

So I bought this. I started off using this to edge up my hairline (at which it does an EXCELLENT job). Thanks to this thing I could get a sharp edge-up without having to see my barber.

Eventually, curiosity led me to attempt a full-faced shave with it. And brother that was the smoothest shave I have ever gotten. Of course the first time I used it, I nicked myself quite a few times, but as I used it more and more, I managed to cut myself less and less each time.

Now I will agree with other users, shaving with one of these requires a bit of time and patience. You can't just go one time over like with a regular razor and have the hair gone. You need to go over the spot a few times before its a smooth shave. Furthermore, one of the reasons I cut myself so much is because I was applying too much pressure, which I eventually deduced was not the right way to do it. You can't apply too much pressure like with a regular razor. You need to go over your face lightly each time. So if you're pressed for time in the mornings, I suggest you stick to a regular razor or move your shaving to the night before.

Anyway, I really like this razor, and it has become my usual method of shaving. I feel like such a badass shaving with this thing. I'll be handing my old Gillette Mach 3 down to my brother once he starts shaving.

And by the way, I showed the razor to my Pakistani friend. According to him, the Arabic writing (which, to me, makes the razor look all the more badass) means "Sword" and "Made in India".

My order was filled the same day and received within 3 days - excellent service! Howi at [...] was very helpful and responsive.

This is the first straight razor I've ever owned and tried. The SR1 is an excellent product for the price-point. It is all metal - including the handle. The fact that you can personalize your 'edge' with this product by choosing your favorite blade is a huge advantage. The ability to use it with standard DE blades (easily split in two) makes it versatile and very economical as well. I had no problem with blade placement.

I tried it immediately after receipt with truly excellent results - this coming from a total S/R beginner. It holds the blades very well between the 'scissor-like' arms during use. Clean up is equally easy. This product feels good in the hands though I have nothing to compare it to except DE safety razors. With a very steady hand and technique (the operative words), the end result using the supplied SHARK half baldes left this beginner with a better/closer shave than I was able to achieve with comperable safety razors. A word of advice - practice, practice, practice! ;-)

I am very happy with this product. Compared to all other razors I've seen that take a 1/2 a double edge blade this razor has the best design... specifically, I really like the clip feature and the weight of the arm (many other
products have a cheap light weight hollow metal, this is a significant piece of stainless steel that has nice weight). In fact, I showed this to my barber who then wanted a couple.

If you don't want to deal with sharpening blades etc, this is a great product (at a great price).

P.S. the sample blades are great too.

This razor looks even better in person than I thought it would - despite the low price, it seems like a quality product: it's well-made and it has a good heft to it, too. This has definitely been an ideal gift! It came packaged in an appealing little box along with a few blades, ready for gifting.

I may not personally use it, but I now have one satisfied user in my household and we would definitely recommend it for someone looking for a budget-friendly safety/straight razor to work with. It's easy to handle, does not slip around on its hinge, and it makes for a clean shave.

I will definitely be coming back here when I need to purchase new blades!

I tried to initiate myself, like most people, with the Dovo Shavette and the experience wasn't bad as smoothness of shaving goes. The problem I found is that it leaves a minimal part of the blade exposed, so in some areas it wasn't easy to find the proper angle and I still have the mark from a cut I got 2 months ago.

Parker SR1 is a lot better, better looking with better shape and leaves more blade exposed. I also discovered Shark blades with this, I had been using Dorco ST301 and Derby, which were not bad, but Shark are until now my favorite ones.