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My impulse buy arrived, ordered about 2.30pm on Friday, dispatched by 3pm and arrived here on Tuesday after the Bank Holiday weekend. Great service from @Executive Shaving.
This is my second foray into Parker razors, previously I owned a 65R which I loved the look of but never got a good shave from. Parker make good, affordable razors but their QC hasn't been the best but seem to be on an upward trajectory in recent times.
I believe this variant is from the second batch of razors, I know there were some issues with the black finish flaking off, with that in mind I went for the matte finish, which I do prefer in any case.
The razor is a very solid piece of kit, feels quite hefty in the hand. I don't have a Progress to hand so can't compare exact weights but having owned several over the years the Variant feels more weighty and solid. The knurling on the handle is an added bonus, not even Flipper would have an issue with holding it. Something I find a negative on the Progress is the handle, whilst ridged in design it has no knurling which can get a little slippery when soapy.
The bottom dial fits nicely with the razor, solid construction and five different settings, ten if you include the half settings. The dial fits the razor well, I personally really like the default Progress dial, to me it suits the razor and time period when the razor was first constructed.
The head of the Variant is similar to the Progress, both have the alignment notches to provide correct assembly. The Variant head looks a bit more solid in my opinion, it felt easier to clean during use. I would hazard a guess that the head is zamak and not brass as I have read elsewhere, I don't think it would be a solid brass constructed razor given the under £50 price.
Here is the blade gap with setting 1 on the left and setting 5 on the right.
Enough waffling, onto the shave. I will use this razor for the rest of the week and provide my thoughts after each use.
Quick note on my shave. I do a 4.5 pass shave on my face and 2-3 passes on my neck.
Maiden voyage for the Variant and I paired it with a blade I know works well for me, I was unsure which setting to start with so I went for a middle of the road setting 3 to start with.
A wee bit aggressive for my tastes and first use of a new razor. It was a comfortable pass but a bit aggressive for me. I had one or two little micro-cuts on my chin but nothing major. I turned it down to setting 2 and continued the shave. I am a daily shaver so prefer to be more mild than aggressive. It could be blade choice too, I think I will either use a Rapira tomorrow or see if the Polsilver is tamed.
The shave was routine and the razor was very manoeuvrable around my face and had no issues with any cuts or irritating minus my usual trouble spots around my chin. I finished up with several micro-cuts just under or around my chin, nothing to make a fuss of, gone as quick as they arrived.
The acid test for me is ATG on my moustache which is very prone to cuts and nicks, this razor passed with flying colours. No cuts at all on my tache, even ATG. Something I rarely got when using a Progress.
To me this razor on initial impressions slightly edges out the Progress in terms of quality of shave. I also think it would be a more durable razor and aesthetically it is a little more pleasing in the matte finish. I feel the weight is an added bonus, no need to apply pressure which is a misgiving of some of the lighter razors which instinctively you try to make up for the lack of weight.
I think once the razor is dialled in and is more familiar it will be a good bit of kit. Overall a good first use and aside from expected micro cuts I got a very good, clean shave.
Build quality looks very good and I am looking forward to continuing the testing going forward. Coming off 9 days straight using the Super Adjustable it will be interesting to see how it compares. May even do a direct comparison on Sunday.
This is my second foray into Parker razors, previously I owned a 65R which I loved the look of but never got a good shave from. Parker make good, affordable razors but their QC hasn't been the best but seem to be on an upward trajectory in recent times.
I believe this variant is from the second batch of razors, I know there were some issues with the black finish flaking off, with that in mind I went for the matte finish, which I do prefer in any case.
The razor is a very solid piece of kit, feels quite hefty in the hand. I don't have a Progress to hand so can't compare exact weights but having owned several over the years the Variant feels more weighty and solid. The knurling on the handle is an added bonus, not even Flipper would have an issue with holding it. Something I find a negative on the Progress is the handle, whilst ridged in design it has no knurling which can get a little slippery when soapy.
The bottom dial fits nicely with the razor, solid construction and five different settings, ten if you include the half settings. The dial fits the razor well, I personally really like the default Progress dial, to me it suits the razor and time period when the razor was first constructed.
The head of the Variant is similar to the Progress, both have the alignment notches to provide correct assembly. The Variant head looks a bit more solid in my opinion, it felt easier to clean during use. I would hazard a guess that the head is zamak and not brass as I have read elsewhere, I don't think it would be a solid brass constructed razor given the under £50 price.
Here is the blade gap with setting 1 on the left and setting 5 on the right.
Enough waffling, onto the shave. I will use this razor for the rest of the week and provide my thoughts after each use.
Quick note on my shave. I do a 4.5 pass shave on my face and 2-3 passes on my neck.
Shave 1
Brush: Vulfix 404 Grosvenor
Blade: Polsilver SI (1)
Soap: Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements 11235
Brush: Vulfix 404 Grosvenor
Blade: Polsilver SI (1)
Soap: Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements 11235
Maiden voyage for the Variant and I paired it with a blade I know works well for me, I was unsure which setting to start with so I went for a middle of the road setting 3 to start with.
A wee bit aggressive for my tastes and first use of a new razor. It was a comfortable pass but a bit aggressive for me. I had one or two little micro-cuts on my chin but nothing major. I turned it down to setting 2 and continued the shave. I am a daily shaver so prefer to be more mild than aggressive. It could be blade choice too, I think I will either use a Rapira tomorrow or see if the Polsilver is tamed.
The shave was routine and the razor was very manoeuvrable around my face and had no issues with any cuts or irritating minus my usual trouble spots around my chin. I finished up with several micro-cuts just under or around my chin, nothing to make a fuss of, gone as quick as they arrived.
The acid test for me is ATG on my moustache which is very prone to cuts and nicks, this razor passed with flying colours. No cuts at all on my tache, even ATG. Something I rarely got when using a Progress.
To me this razor on initial impressions slightly edges out the Progress in terms of quality of shave. I also think it would be a more durable razor and aesthetically it is a little more pleasing in the matte finish. I feel the weight is an added bonus, no need to apply pressure which is a misgiving of some of the lighter razors which instinctively you try to make up for the lack of weight.
I think once the razor is dialled in and is more familiar it will be a good bit of kit. Overall a good first use and aside from expected micro cuts I got a very good, clean shave.
Build quality looks very good and I am looking forward to continuing the testing going forward. Coming off 9 days straight using the Super Adjustable it will be interesting to see how it compares. May even do a direct comparison on Sunday.
