Parker SRX Straight Razor – All Stainless Steel Barber Razor with Clip-Type Blade Holder for Disposable Blades – Ideal for Precision Wet Shaving at Home or Barbershop – Iconic Brand

I bought this due to the reviews, the weight, the price and the fact that sharpening tools were not needed. The weight is like a true straight razor. I just let the razor do the work. No pressure needed. The Parker is a well made unit. No need to sharpen and strop like the old days. It had been years since I used a straight, so I thought I'd give this a try. Works great. Like a bike, right back to using both hands on both sides of the face. No cuts. Fits in my hands perfectly. Does not slip. No need to get the handle wet when using.CARE IS NEEDED when opening the blade lock to insert or remove the blade. If you do this wrong, you will pay. It is tricky. Just be patient and careful. I use my fingernails to open but using another item might be better (small screwdriver, butter knife). This is my only peeve with this unit. I tried to press back on the lock lever on the spine, when unlocked, to see if it would open easier while prying the two halves apart. It did not work. If the manufacturer improved this so it was easier to open, then it would be near perfect. Other than that, I really like this unit.I would say to teach yourself not to grab for the blade if dropped. Something we had to learn it the trades. Just practice with the razor and a small piece of tin foil ( make shift blade) over a towel in the sink-like you are loading the razor with a blade. The idea is teach yourself not to instinctively grab for them if dropped. Just saying. Also watch some of Lynn Abrams videos on using a straight razor if your are a newbie.I personally did not like the blades that came with the razor. Seemed dull to me, but, so did others. I have a very stiff and thick beard. Bought a sample pack of double edge blades and tried several. For me, the Feather Platinum and Astra Platinum blades and this unit kick butt.

I have had this straight razor for about a year and a half and I use it every 3 or so days. The quality of the metal is very nice and solid. It did get a little rusty where the blades sit on the two metal nubs but that's to be expected since it gets wet (you can probably avoid it by opening it up after each use and properly drying it off I'm just lazy). The blades are VERY sharp and I will sometimes dual use this as a packing knife to open boxes it's that sharp (I replace the blades after using it for such purposes).Overall solid razor, it never leaves razor burn on my face or other areas (I will leave those "other areas" to the imagination). I would definitely recommend this razor, it takes some time getting used to, just go slow and make sure you have warm water and soap over the areas you are shaving or you will feel a pinch while shaving.

I decided to try this less expensive method of sharing thereby leaving behind the overpriced cartridge shavers in favor of this method. Actually, I'm also giving the old double edge safety razor a go as well. Anyway, after about 2 hours of YouTube videos on how to shave with a straight razor / shavette I dove in starting with this Parker razor. I must say that everything went very well. The shave wasn't as close as I had expect but I believe that is my fault rather than the razor or the blades. There is definitely a learning curve when switching to this method and I'm fairly certain things will get better with time.PROS:1) Price is excellent2) Product feels and appears to be very well made3) If I can refine/improve my method/skill this will save me hundredsCONS:1) Can be a little difficult to open when changing bladesOverall, I am optimistic and would highly recommend this razor to anyone wanting to leave the cartridges behind. Incidentally, my fist shave went well. As I said, it wasn't as close as I had hoped for but I'm happy to say that despite two rounds (once with the grain and then against) I walked out of the bathroom without a single cut. :-)

I am a barber of 14 years and have handled a wonderful amount of straight razors. Time for this straight razor reviewWEIGHT:This will take a bit of time to get use-to. Unlike some of the other plastic/ metal Straight Razors (SS) that have a grace point for the amount of pressure you add; this one is all metal. The added weight can cause to add more pressure than you'd want or expect. This can be used as a plus by counter balancing the blade to adjust that grace point to create the great shave we are expecting from a nice quality piece. This can fatigue you greatly for dense facial hair since it requires more finessing. That being said, hitting the awkward angles of the face (depending on the structure you have) may require some practice. Old wisdom reigns here; let the tool do the work, counter balance and adjust the tang to grip your pinkySTRUCTURE:the structure is great! the blade is not fully exposed and it does allow enough exposure to allow a good connection between the skin and blade. I feel like Parker got it spot on! when you load your blade in the shavette the two copper pins sit the blade wonderfully***Pro Tip** (when you snap your full blade in half, load your blade with the bent portion face down towards the shavette, otherwise you may experience loading issues) **when you close your shavette the spine will seal that blade in place! that grip will strengthen the blade and create a great angle to shave. SHARPTHERE IS NO HEEL! most shavettes do not size the blade they load, into the final design. Parker is no different. the blade you load will not reach the heel which will allow you to only use the edge of the shavette. not a con but some real-estate Could have been used there.The SHANK: this is a little flat for the design itself. for how heavy the all metal adds to the design they would have made this portion a little more thicker to have a better grip and would have added a much more quality feel to the overall designTANG: love it! its a little long. its a little more safe, its a little extra its a little more legit! when you need to counter balance the tang can be a great tool that can help you reach better angles while keeping a better grip.PIVOT POINT: The pivot point is more snug than lose. the important take away is where you open it, is where it will stay.Personal opinion:at first getting use-to the weight caused some small razor burns and Knicks because I was use to lighter units but got use-to it by the 3rd shave. The low blade exposure doesn't allow me to sharpen edges like beards and hairlines because there's not enough exposure from the edge, to skin, to hair ratio. So personally I'd strictly use it to shave with minimal effort which is OK FOR ME!new guys can use this to create great muscle memory and good habits but id recommend something bit more forgiving in the grand scheme of things.pretty great unit