Parker 96R Men's Safety Razor Shave Set - Includes Parker Luxurious 3-Band Pure Badger Shave Brush, Deluxe Chrome Shave Stand & Parker 96R Butterfly Open Safety Razor

I want to preface this review by saying that I am a beginner with double edge shaving and made the switch due to the economics of DE shaving vs cartridges. With that being said, I can not compare this to any other safety razors, but feel strongly that I would never/ should never have to.The stand: Very sturdy, does its job, looks good. Not much more to say.The brush: As others have said in their reviews, it stopped shedding after 1 or 2 uses. The brush felt very stiff on the first shave, but has felt much softer on all the following shaves. I wouldn't describe it as being overly soft, though, as it has just the right amount of stiffness to build a good lather and does a great job applying the lather to my face. Part of the reason I look forward to shaving now is the experience of creating the lather and applying it to my face. Aside from feeling good, the brush also looks good, which my girlfriend enjoys as I keep it out for the world to see.The shave: With this set I purchased the sensitive Proraso Shave Soap and a 20 blade sampler pack. The set also comes with 5 Shark blades. I have been using a Bic blade from the sampler pack as it was rated as being not only sharp, but also forgiving to beginners. It was convenient that the razor encompasses a butterfly opening system as installing the blade was incredibly easy.-First shave: I found myself intimidated and hesitant with the first shave, trying to be careful not to cut myself, which I didn't do until about the 5th pass at my chin because I just couldn't get the angle right, and was trying to hard to get a close shave. Aside from the chin area, the rest of my shave was pleasant and enjoyable, though very time consuming as I was not used to this shaving style. The weight of the head seems perfect to me to NATURALLY apply the pressure needed to achieve a close shave. As any instruction to DE shaving would say, you do not need to apply any pressure, the weight will work for you, and it does.-Following shaves: My issues with the chin have all gone away, and aside from 1 tiny nick that didn't really bleed, haven't cut myself again. The razor's grip makes it incredibly easy to control and I haven't had any issues with it slipping out of my hand and potentially cutting myself, which to me is a good thing. What I have found using the Proraso Shave soap, Bic blade, and Parker 96R razor is that I am getting the best shaves of my life and no longer need to use an aftershave after shaving. I have simply been splashing cold water on my face after rinsing off and call it a day.Overall impression: This is amazing. I get the best shaves I have ever had, and no longer need after shave. I also haven't had a single ingrown hair since I started using this razor, while I always had a couple with the cartridges. I don't know how it compares to a Merkur, nor do I care. I am perfectly content with this purchase and would probably stay within the Parker family as I believe in brand loyalty. However, being that I got this for economical reasons, I will not be purchasing another razor. To go into the economics of this, I bought all of the aforementioned products for about $95 shipped. With that, I got a total of 25 razor blades. 24 of the Fusion Proglide cartridges cost about $90, so I essentially paid the same amount for 25 blades, the soap, stand, and razor, as I would have for 24 cartridges, which, for me, seems like a no-brainer. The blades also seem to stay sharper than the cartridges, so they could last longer. If not, it is no big deal, as 100 blades costs about $20. I would say that if you were looking to start shaving with a double edge razor, that this set it well worth it. It looks good, shaves good, and is a very reasonable value.

I recently switched to back to a safety razor because I have a coarse, curly beard. the problem is that cartridge blades advertising to "lift and cut" do just that and the whisker ends up slightly beneath the skin. This is a problem for guys like myself who end up with ingrown hairs and inflammation from this extremely close shave. A safety razor doesn't cut as close which, for me, was the point. Don't get me wrong, I still appear freshly shaved, just not for as long, but for the comfort and lack of red, inflamed razor bumps, it is totally worth the effort.Like so many things in our fast paced lives, shaving has just become another step for most guys in their daily process of getting ready to go out and face the world. That convenience comes as a price and I actually enjoy the process of shaving now from steaming my beard and lathering up to shaving and moisturizing my freshly shaved face afterwords. The best things in life take patience and take some effort and a good shave is no exception.In many cases you also get what you pay for and, again, I believe this Parker set is no exception. It is neither the most expensive kit available not the cheapest. The badger bristle brush is of good quality and has a certain weight and solid feel that conveys quality. Additionally, the Parker 96R razor itself is is perhaps on the slightly heavier side at 3.0oz but it actually provides excellent balance providing a sense of substance and quality craftsmanship. The stand is simple but has a nice weight to it and rubber base underneath that resists accidentally being knocked over and the brush and razor fit neatly and securely onto it. Altogether is a very handsome set that I believe would satisfy anyone who is considering a switch from cartridges or even an experienced safety razor user who is looking for a new one.I would likely pay a little more if it were American-made as I believe it is manufactured in India. However, the quality is excellent regardless. I am very satisfied with this purchase and believe it to be an excellent value for the price versus quality of workmanship and would certainly recommend it to anyone interested.A couple of suggestions I have to pair this set are additional blades from Merkur. Also, I enjoy the Parker shave soaps in the water-tight container. Finally, if you are new to shaving with a safety razor, or even if you still prefer the cartridge style blades, you should pick up the little Barber Alum bar. It is great for any little nicks from shaving, man or woman, and is very reasonably priced and a better value compared to styptic pens.Hopefully this will provide some valuable information into this particular razor set and help someone deciding if this model is for them.

Good safety razor set. It's a great set for someone looking to start shaving with safety razors and a decent set for experienced shavers. The butterfly opening on the razor makes changing blades easy and the weight makes shaving a breeze. The brush is badger hair and works really well to lather and apply soap quickly. The stand is sturdy and keeps the razor and brush off the sink counter and helps them stay dry and clean between uses. And it looks classy in any bathroom. Everything looks nice from afar but up close you can tell the finish is just brushed chrome or something cheap like that. I expect this set could last for years and years with regular use as there's not a whole lot of things that could go wrong here.