Parker 22R Gunmetal Finish Butterfly Open Double Edge Safet Razor for Men, 5 Parker Premium Platinum Double Edge Razor Blades Included

To start, I own a Merkur 1904( mild and can be used by men and women in all areas safely,great razor), a (Shone gold color razor which is moderately aggressive, beautiful and shaves very close), a (Weishi Long handle butterfly, good fit & finish with mild to medium aggressiveness, very good shave quality). So, these are some very high quality razors that I compare this 22R to. I probably do not NEED another DE razor. Many of us get into this to save money and break the insane prices paid for multi plastic disposable razors then enjoy the so called wet shaving experience so much that we buy multiple razors which does allow us to rotate them and get just the right amount of razor aggressiveness needed for any particular shave. I.E. after a shave with a Shone or Fatip, a non aggressive Merker 1904 may be the best tool for sensitive skin.After reading many reviews on Parker’s and this 22 R in particular, I was very reluctant to spend money on a Parker and the 22 R did not get as close to 5 stars as many other comparable razors. Reviews with details like,” the razor head closes crooked, or the finish is peeling off, or showed up defective” definitely deterred me. What kept me reading, including watching youtube reviews, was the unusual style and good looks of the razor in pictures and the many very favorable rants by users. The 22R arrived in my mail box last night and I was thrilled at the shiny gun metal finish and substantial weight and feel of this razor. I used it right away and was pleasantly surprised at the way it shaved. I use Astra SP’s, Voskods and Personna’s and really appreciate these brands. With a Personna blade, this 22R for me performed with a tad more aggression than my Weishi and noticeably less than my Shone. Unlike many reviewer findings, I found the very attractive handle has an effective textured grip, perfect handle length for me and shaved very close. If you shave fast and reckless with this razor, it will draw some blood but I found it to perform flawlessly and I would not hesitate to use this as my only razor. I, like many shavers ,love the craftsmanship and the different performance aspects of a variety of razors. I would recommend this razor to new DE razor users and veterans as well. This is a TTO razor and like any butterfly, special attention must be paid to ensure that it is locked closed while shaving. It’s my only brass razor and has just the right amount of heft, not too heavy and not too lite. Do not expect a lesser finish than the competition, this is a beautiful razor, even at close, critical inspection. I love mine. I will update this review if I have any negative issues and down the road, I will update as well...

I wanted to review this as a woman because I have been unable to find any resources to help women using safety razors.I am new to safety razors - this was my first, so I'm not able to compare it to other models. I can say that I switched from a Venus cartridge razor to this product a month ago and it's a fine quality product. The item is a darker shade of silver than it appears in the photo. It's heavy and solid and appropriately sized for my relatively small hands. I was worried it would be difficult to use, but it's not terribly different than a cartridge razor, and probably easier to load a blade. The butterfly closure opens and closes by twisting a mechanism on the handle. I thought it might come loose during a shave, but it doesn't.The biggest thing I've learned so far is to shave at a 30 degree angle. I started out at like an 85 degree angle and I wasn't getting the best shaves. Once I adjusted the angle of the razor I was getting much better shaves. This razor does not have any adjustable or pivoting parts, so you have to adjust the angle yourself and the trick is keeping it at that angle as you go. Now I start by doing a pass down the leg (with the grain), lathering a second time and then passing up the leg (against the grain.) I use regular Skintimate Shave Gel and it seems to work fine, however I did decide to order some Proraso Sensitive Skin Shave Soap and Escali Badger Brush for an even closer and less razor-burny shave.Also, don't press down on the razor, just let it do the work. If you press down too hard, you can cut yourself fairly easily. There are a lot of different blades you can try out. I'd definitely recommend you start out with the more standard blades before doing something super sharp, because these are less forgiving than cartridge razors.I'm still trying to work out the best way to do the legs, because it's a little harder to reach the back of the leg with this razor. In particular it's hard to see if you're using the proper angle, and it's even harder using your non-dominant hand, and this is where I have cut myself both times (tiny, painless cuts.) I tried in the bathtub and it requires some contortionist abilities. I tried standing up, as in the shower, and I felt like I had a lot more control over the razor and more stability. I think the shower method wins.Overall I feel this is a great razor. It's easy to learn how to use it, but a bit less easy to master the technique. It was priced very reasonably compared to its more expensive counterparts and honestly I think you're getting about the same thing. Forty bucks might seem like a lot for a razor until you realize it will probably last you 20 years and you're going to be paying as low as 10 cents per blade.Safety razor shaving is by far the cheapest, most effective method out there. I've said goodbye to my cartridges and I'm never going back.