Well I have been wet shaving for about 20 yrs.Started with Gillette sensor cartridge razors and Williams soap,or whatever my dad on hand.About 3 yrs ago I purchased my first DE Razor.ParkerA1R and I really enjoy the shave.Now I started collecting shaving gear,purchased a lot of Gillette razors ,cleaning polishing and sterilized them.I have tried many of the razors with different brands of blades with no good shaves.Have I become a so use to the Parker that nothing else will come close? The Gillette razors are not the top of the line .Some techs,Fatboys,Adjustables. Any ideas? Thanks
YMMV. I get my best shaves from the early Super Speeds and a good Russian blade, also using Williams (with a dab of Clubman on my brush). If you happen to have a cased '54 TV Special that doesn't work for you, I'll take it off your hands
Welcome to The Shave Den! I'm glad you're here! Consider joining the "30 Day" group (link in my signature). The party never stops, so you can join anytime. We're all there to work on our shaving technique and have fun. New folks often use one razor/blade combo, one soap or cream, and one brush for 30 days and share their results. If you have questions along the way, someone is always ready to help, and photos are always appreciated. Many guys have become skilled shavers using this approach...to the point that they can get great shaves from ANY razor. And, of course, there are the shenanigans... Again, welcome!
At it's basic level it's blade VS. beard. If you are happy with the way the Parker holds your blade in the correct way to shave your beard, the rest of those Gillettes are a collection of Vintage Gear. Or there's Option #2; Do a little research and see which are considered Mild, Medium, or Aggressive. Pick a Gillette that is similar to your Parker. Load your favorite brand of blade and settle in for thirty days. No shame is using the familiar razor to clean up, but with a dedicated focus you should be able to develop the technique to use any of the other DE's. There's a bunch of shavers doing just this, click the link in my signature file below. Lurk a while, or jump in any time.
As @RyX said, a blade Focus could be of help to you. I've been doing them pretty much since I started here and my technique has improved immensely. You not only find the right blade for a particular razor, but you find the right one for your face.
I think you just dialed in your technique with that razor as you have been using it for an extended time. Take one of the other razors use it exclusively for a month or two and I guess that the same thing would happen. After a while, it really won't matter much which DE you use as they will all yield favorable results.
Thank you all very much for thea advice.Yes my Parker and the Astra blades I really get a good shave. I will choose a razor from said collection and order a sample pack of blades and try for a month.Now should I stick with The shave cream that works well with the Parker.With the Parker I have been switching brands and making notes. Thanks all.
