22R. As I was tightening the TTO after replacing the blade this a.m., one side popped. Luckily I was able to put the door back onto the pegs that it rides on and after further examination, used a pair of small needle nose pliers to bend the end cap enough to secure it. I shaved (with great caution) without incident. Shave felt usual like the very first one. Now every time I go to close the doors, I'll be holding my breath not to use too much pressure. I haven't figured out if it was because of my heavy hand in tightening it or poor quality that caused the mishap. Just thought I would post this in case anyone else may learn from my mistake. Cheers!
Same happened to me about 18 months ago with my 90R - luckily I had a vintage Gillette on hand that was only in need to a clean to be pressed into service. Haven't used the Parker since.
Sounds like a good time to go shopping for a vintage Gillette. There are still some to be had in antique and junk shops, as well as, flea market bonanzas. Good luck.
I have a nearly new, barely used 22R in gun metal finish if yours fails you again. There is a wee bit of difference between this Parker and a Gillette Super Speed (for instance) in terms of weight, balance and "aggressiveness" IMHO.
The TTO Parker's are not well made, but their 3-piece razors are actually quite good. I had one of their TTO's, and it had the worst side-to-side discrepancy in blade exposure I've ever seen. My advice: Go vintage for TTO razors.
I beg to differ. My first DE was a 22R. I loved the TTO, and wouldn't get any razor that didn't have one. It worked perfectly fine, never had a problem, and was a great starter razor. Sure, it's not built as solidly as the Slim and Fatboy that I've replaced it with, but what is, these days? And I paid less than $30 for it. Jeff in Boston
I can now see that the Parker TTO lacks the quality that Gillette has, but the Gillettes on E Bay are way way over priced. I've been scouting there for over a month now. The bid starts off ridiculously low, then sky rockets to an unbelievable price for a razor that's 30 or 40 yrs. old. I'm not a collector, I just want a good razor, but refuse to pay that kind of price, even if I had more money than I knew what to do with. I'm not saying all of them are over priced, just the ones that I want. lol If I'm going to buy a Gillette, I want a Fat Boy or some other adjustable. 30 bucks tops for a "used" razor of any kind. I might go 40 bucks for a brand new razor. Weishi has caught my eye and seem to get pretty good feedback about them. I still like my Parker22. And I am very familiar with the adage of "you get what you pay for".
I was able to pick up a '48ish SS in excellent condition for $17 on ebay a few weeks ago. But I did see some go for considerable more. I happened to catch an auction without a lot of activity.
Yep, I know the deals are out there, its just a matter of right place/ right time. I most definitely want and will get a Gillette one day, if nothing else than the nostalgia of it. I had 2 Gillette razors a very long time ago that belonged to my Dad. I kick myself for having lost them along the way.
I've not used a Parker but almost bought one but when starting DE shaving again, found a Schick Krona and tried that instead. From there I bought a Fatboy and a Slim adjustable and have had no problems. You may want to post a WTB here or on Badger/Blade for an older adjustable and you should find one within a week that is in the price range you're looking for. I agree that ebay prices are nuts. Have you thought about trying a fixed that has the same blade angle as your setting on the Parker? If you hate it, you can always post it for sale. Best of luck.
At the top of this page, click on the "store" link. I think that you find that our very own "Queen Of Blades" sells vintage Gillettes at reasonable prices. I got a '52 SS from her recently, looks good and shaves good. FYI a have a 22R as welll that I started DE with, only used it briefly before stepping up but didn't have any troubles with it.
You know, I will eventually get a Gillette but I am going to say that even when I do, I will keep my Parker in my rotation, maybe as my go to razor. I have always gotten a very good shave with it, even though it is a bit aggressive. Blades have been my point of trouble, trying to remember which one gave me the best shave and lasted the longest. So far its between the Dorco and the ones from the supermarket. Personna, not so good.
I've got mixed feelings about my own Parker, a 90R. On the one hand, I've noticed that the amount of blade exposure is uneven on the two sides, and it's not possible to re-seat or realign the blade to even it up. To me, that's just poor QC. On the other hand, I still get a good shave with both sides of the blade. Logically, one side should be less aggressive, but in practice, I don't notice any difference. And at least it hasn't fallen apart. Not my go to razor, but it was my travel razor on my most recent trip.