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Parker Vs Merkur (Poll)

Which one?

  • Total voters
    11
  • Poll closed .
TheKing

TheKing

Member
Hey Guys,
My Comoy shaver has been great up until yesterday (changed blade mid shave, opened butterfly, bits went every where) so I'm buying a new handle, either parker or merkur because I need 1 shaver and 1 shaver only (for now).

Which razor should I get?

Monsta Edit - Internal poll added.
 
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I've never shaved with a merkur, but I've got a parker 97r and I love it. The 26c also gets lots of love online, but I've never tried it.
 
I have the Merkur 34C & the Slant 39C they are both wonderful razors, never owned a Parker.
If i only had to have one razor from Merkur it would be the 34C.
 
The 34c is a great razor and the 38c is a little too heavy for my liking. Never owned a Parker.
 
My suggestion is to pay a bit extra and get either a vintage Gillette adjustable or a stainless steel modern.
Both should be more durable and as a bonus, hold their value better :)
 
borked said:
My suggestion is to pay a bit extra and get either a vintage Gillette adjustable or a stainless steel modern.
Both should be more durable and as a bonus, hold their value better :)
Click to expand...

khun_diddy said:
I'd get a nice English New or Tech personally.
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So the guy goes to a great deal of effort to create a poll and what do we do? Ignore it and make other suggestions! Poor bloke ...

Maybe we need to rephrase the question into two parts -

If @TheKing is to get one new razor fairly quickly to replace his broken one which of the ones in the survey he created would you recommend?

If you would recommend a different, readily available, razor what would it be and why?

@borked is suggesting a vintage Gillette Adjustable (Fatboy, Slim or Super Adjustable) available via eBay for between $50 and $150 on the basis of durability and resale value OR a modern stainless steel razor, presumably like a Feather or ATT, which start at $150+ for the same reason.

@khun_diddy is recommending an English NEW (medium to aggressive open comb) available via eBay for $40 - $100 or an English Tech (mild) available via eBay for $20 - $60.

Does that provide a little more background and clarity? You other guys can chime in - I don't want to speak for you entirely ;)
 
I think it confusing to throw all sorts of other razors in the mix, like open combs.

Given the extra wait and hassle of finding a good vintage gillette, to me it's a no brianer to get a Merkur, and places like Mensbiz will get it to you in a day or two. Merkurs are proven big sellers.

My favourite, one and only, is the 23c. 34c is massively popular and I had one, but I'm convinced the 2 piece merkurs are more aggressive, no matter what the vendors say. I found the 23 just as efficent, but lets me use Feathers.
 
Yep. Love the English techs, specifically the ones with the flat baseplate with two long grooves (instead of the triangular base). Very forgiving razor. I recently picked up one from eBay for $12 including delivery! The plating was pretty shabby, but obviously the razor still works great (being solid brass), and for an extra $60 you can get it replated in rhodium (which I will definitely do)!

My only problem with these is the weight. A little light for my liking. But still, great value.

Otherwise, 34C is also a great option. But as Drubbing said, they aren't as forgiving as some other razors.
 
We do have polls here at Paste & Cut - so added it!
 
My money is with the 34C. Great little razor, had mine for a few years now, cuts well through thick and thin beard - a good basic razor that I use to trial different blades on too.
 
On a mobile, I'm unable to see the poll.
 
The Parker 97 is a very good razor for the price. It is nice and heavy, but be aware that I feel it is significantly more aggressive than the entry level razors (EJ89, 34C etc)
I would also suggest a Merkur 1904 open comb. Superb razor. One of Mercer's best if you ask me.
 
Thanks guys, sorry for the late reply, I have 2 days to get one or its back to the cart, *sigh
I'm pretty sure I'll go for a 34C, I have had a look for a gillette vintage but haven't found one yet,
Are the merkurs not stainless?
I understand platings but wouldn't a 24 carat gold shaver just be the nuts?
 
TheKing said:
Thanks guys, sorry for the late reply, I have 2 days to get one or its back to the cart, *sigh
I'm pretty sure I'll go for a 34C, I have had a look for a gillette vintage but haven't found one yet,
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I don't think you can go wrong with it, there is also the Muhle/Edwin Jagger basic models which are similar. Get whatever you can quickly.

TheKing said:
Are the merkurs not stainless?
Click to expand...
No, neither are the EJ/Muhle or Parkers. They are known as 'Zamak' and if you do a search at the very top right of the page for that term there is plenty already written about that.

One of the major issues with it is that it cannot be replated - the chemicals to strip the plating basically melts the Zamak. That's why the Vintage Gillettes are far more popular as they are made of brass and very solid & hard wearing, and very easy to replate. If a modern Zamak gets 'flea bites' like my DE86 did, you cannot replate it.

A modern (yet cheap) stainless razor is definitely a good idea. That said, with care a modern zamak should give you a decent life.

There is also this thread with a new idea on refinishing vintage Gillettes.....

TheKing said:
I understand platings but wouldn't a 24 carat gold shaver just be the nuts?
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24k is too soft, you are better off with 22k with a little copper in it which makes it harder and wears far better. It's exactly the same as gold coins designed for circulation (Kruggerands, American Eagles) - usually always 22k so they last. Bullion coins are usually 24k. As a side note, they do not attract GST here, but there 22k coins do.

Anyhow, Gillette did make the Fatboy & Slim in gold variants, and the Toggle was also, and most of the NEW open combs were also. I have a gold Common-bar NEW myself - great shaver it is.... Gold Schick Kronas are also pretty common. Just go and find @Mark1966's collection museum thread with photos, and have a look.

TheKing said:
Also thanks Monsta, I saw that right after i finished making it hahaha :(
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No problem at all, that's what I am here for!
 
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A lot of the big forums will bang on about Zamak being somehow inferior. I've had a 34c for 7 years and with a decent clean it looks pretty much the same as the day I bought it.

SS isn't superior, it just costs more and some like how it looks.
 
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