About a year ago, I bought a Parker TTO, the 99R. I think I used it once before putting it aside, because it was extremely aggressive. I pulled it out yesterday, dropped a blade in, looked at it, and said "no way!" The gap is huge, the exposure is huge, it only puts a slight bend in the blade, and it clamps the blade far from its edge. The blade sticks out almost parallel to the floor. It was new when I bought it, and I got it from a vendor who markets it in the U.S. for Parker. (Not sure I can mention the vendor.) So I know it was the latest version, and not the older version that is known to be very aggressive. Now I know that some people like very aggressive razors, but what surprises me is all the people who consider Parker TTOs to be mild. My understanding, which was verified by the vendor, is that all Parker TTOs have the same head. I have three Parker 3-piece razors (an open comb, a closed comb, and a semi-slant), and I like them. The closed comb is a bit more aggressive than the open comb, though, with a lot of blade feel. I haven't used the semi-slant much but I am planning to in the near future. Thoughts? I have dozens of razors, including many vintage Gillettes and Schick Injectors. Other than a few cheap Tech copies, the Parker TTO is the scariest and most unusable of my collection.
Thanks. My 99r is nothing like my superspeeds. I don't even find the red-flare-tip aggressive. My 99r is basically a DEvette. There are some reviews out there, including on youtube, that feel it's aggressive, too. One guy complained about all the cuts he gets with it. Maybe all Parker TTO heads are not the same. Mine aligns the blade perfectly, the TTO is smooth, and everything gets locked down properly, so it is definitely not defective.
Does yours look like this? Note the big gap and exposure. Maybe it doesn't shave as bad as it looks to me? I just remember not liking it at all a year ago since I felt it was too aggressive and cut me.
Thanks. Frankly, I'm not sure why I bought it or any of my Parkers in the first place, for that matter. I was kinda addicted to buying inexpensive razors, and have never bought a "high-end" one (that being more than 80 bananas.) So at the end of the day, there really is no reason to make it work for me, other than the challenge and convincing myself I didn't waste 30 clams. Also, I'm just curious, especially since many people, including in this thread, have characterized it as mild. So I was wondering if I just got a bad one, although as I said there is no reason for me to think it is defective. But look at that big gap in the pic I posted above, lol. That and the positive exposure make it a beast for me. That being said, I will try to use it at least once over the next week.
@ShaversRUs, welcome to the TSD. I am sorry that you had a bad experience with the Parker 99R. I surmise that you were new to wetshaving and that's why you had less than desirable results with that razor. Finding the right angle or the sweet spot of a razor will give you a better shave. At TSD, we recommend that you ride the cap when you shave with any razor that you may find aggressive. To ride the cap, have the head of the razor flush with your skin with the handle perpendicular to your skin; then simultaneously lower the handle and glide the razor. If you hear the whiskers being shaved then you found the right angle. Obviously, if you go against the grain, then you have the lift the handle to shave.
Actually, I started wetshaving about 10 years ago, and only bought the Parker 99r last year. I'm just trying to determine if my Parker 99r is way off on tolerances. I know that some people prefer aggressive razors, but I'm surprised that many call it mild, while others call it aggressive. The people who like aggressive razors usually admit that they are aggressive. And mine is definitely not like a Gillette superspeed, which I enjoy -- even the red-tip. I've used the 40s style, too. From the looks of the pic I posted, would you consider it aggressive? This guy thinks it's aggressive. Look at the nasty cut he gets, which does not stop bleeding for the rest of the shave. At 9:09 Look at his neck at 15:25. Ouch! This guy isn't too enamored, either, lol. Different model, but same head. For the others in this thread, I believe you, but I'm just surprised how polarizing the Parker TTO is, lol.
@ShaversRUs, I shave with straights and shavettes which are the most aggressive razors to mow my whiskers. In this forum, our motto is technique trumps tools. 99% of the time it's usually the operator and not the tool. I suspect that your 99R is within the specs. Of course, the only way to find out is to measure your blade gap and see if it matches Patker's specs. If it matches then the problem lies with your technique and/or you need to find a milder, but still sharp blade for that razor.
Thanks guys. I guess what I'm saying is that all those things about being careful are things to do with somewhat aggressive razors. I'm just surprised people would call a Parker TTO mild. Most people look at 2 things for aggressiveness: positive blade exposure, and large gap. My Parker 99r gives you both! As I tried to show in the pic-- I drew a line on the shave plane. If I put my finger on the shave plane, touching the cap and the guard, I get a very noticeable indentation in the skin on my finger from the blade.
off topic but: For some reason, I did not get any alerts that people replied to this thread, yet I am getting them for my other watched threads. Any idea why? I did get alerts of people liking or mentioning me in this thread. My preferences look OK.
Here it is called "one of the most aggressive safety razors on the market. I rate is as an either 8 or 9 out of 10. " Parker 99R Safety Razor Review - A Superior Shave Again, I'm not saying it is a bad razor. I'm just saying that it is an aggressive razor, and not the right razor for someone who likes mild razors.
It's a beautiful razor. I really want to give it another chance. I put a blade in it again the other day and chickened out before the shave. I've watched GeoFatBoy's vids in the past -- he seems to like everything, so I usually don't watch him anymore. Sinatra Lennon's vids are good. He admits that it's a fairly agressive razor. He gets a good sting when he puts on Sinatra's aftershave at the end, though. I might try it first with a shim above the blade, though I usually avoid shims. Funny how even back in the 60s the companies mucked around with the formulas of aftershaves. I'm sure Sinatra wasn't happy. I'm surprised he didn't pay them to make up special batches for him using their old formula. Does anyone know of a currently produced afteshave similiar to the original Yardley's English Lavender? If so, I wouldn't mind trying it if the price doesn't break the bank.
He must have tough skin, too. Any razor he ever uses, he whips it around his face like he is using the opposite side of a butter knife. Plus every product he uses is also for sale at his online store.
The last and only time I used a shim was probably 3 years ago. If you have many razors (like most of us), you just use a different razor when you want to adjust agressiveness up or down. Or use an adjustable. I made a shim last night and put it in the Parker, just to see, and it didn't look like it changed much. I'm just going to use the Parker as is.
