So I decided to try an experiment. I've been using a DE for a little over two months now. My first razor was a Parker 60R. Recently I picked up a Gillette ball end tech (closed comb) from the 50s or 60s. I like them both but they are very different in design so I thought I would use them side by side and see if one performed any better than the other. I know the parkers have a reputation for poor quality control and engineering defects. While this is a legitimate criteria for choosing one or the other, I got one of the good ones and this is just a snapshot in time which makes no pretense of judging long term reliability. Parker 60R TTO, 3 oz, 4 inch handle, large blade gap, blade angled slightly more horizontal to the "shelf" at the top of the safety bar Gillette Tech 3 piece, 1.3 oz, 3 inch handle, smaller blade gap, blade angled slightly down from horizontal to safety bar shelf Other factors -Shark blades on their first shave - chosen because they are good but they are NOT the smoothest blades I've tried so hopefully using them will magnify any differences between the razors -Prairie Creations Facial Blend shaving soap - Three passes WTG, XTG, ATG -Alum Block -Prairie Creations Facial Blend golden after shave milk I divided my face in to four parts. Left and right sides of face and of neck. The right face and left neck belonged ot the Parker and the Gillette got the rest. I felt the stubble after each pass. I have a medium weight beard which I hadn't shaved in about 48 hours. The Parker is heavy enough that I used no pressure at all during the N-S strokes. The parker also offers a nice grip location where the two pieces of the handle join which is handy for horizontal and S-N strokes. The Parker does feel "clumsy" to me compared to the gillette. The gillette is very light by comparison and seems to require a firmer touch N-S. The gillette invites a fingertip grip and feels very nimble to me. After all that, the result seems anticlimactic. The shave was equally close from both razors. The alum block picked up no differences in scraping or tiny nicks. I got a DFS on all parts of my face. The one and only difference besides the obvious weight and handle length is that I could feel the blade more with the parker than with the gillette. So I can say the gillette definitely gave me a more pleasant shaving sensation but the parker seemed to have done no more damage.to my face. I guess that means that if you are using blades that are not so great or if you are learning to shave, the gillette will make the experience more enjoyable. I can also say I personally prefer the handling of the gillette and if you have small hands like me maybe you will too.
You have to hand it to Gillette: they made some great razors. I have one of the Techs, and it provides one of the smoothest shaves I've ever experienced. Sometimes it doesn't even feel as if I have a blade in it -- it just seems to glide over my face. However, I do prefer a bit more aggressive razor for that very reason -- I like to feel the blade to some extent. (Most days I shave with a straight razor, and use a DE only once or twice a week.)
