Parker Variant - Sapone di Paolo Piccante - Old Spice

I have the Parker Variant, Merkur 34C and an Edwin Jagger DE89. All 3 are wonderful but I seem to be using the Variant most often. It's a well made razor and I love the fact that I can adjust the aggressiveness when necessary. Using this razor has really helped with my own shaving technique. I've improved a lot.

Looks like a good razor.. would anyone know if the materials are Brass or Stainless Steel or Die Cast ? Looking for something that will last and is machined well. Thanks.

This one is not precise and accurate as Merkur Progress. It feels like a hammer in my hand but shaves well. Being an Indian I bought many Parkers, 68s is best. Love from India.

I don’t remember my R-41 having a bend... that’s just how it was engineered I guess

I like the beard Kevy. Gives you a scholarly look. BTW. Just bought the Variant. Toss up between that and Merkur Progress. I think I made the right choice. May buy the Progress at a later date. Cheers.

Hi Kevy: Not sure if you will even see this Or comment as I am adding it over a year after your video! However, I just received my new Variant and gave it a try this morning. I followed the instructions, inserted a new blade aligning the marks and adjusted the setting on the dial to 1 and a half, thinking that I would be very careful on the first shave. I noted that the blade gap seemed quite large for this setting but thought it was due to the different head on the Variant. So away I went. After several nicks and a few weepers I finished my shave. My it was very close but my face was also burning! A heavy application of alum and after shave balm helped to sooth things a little. I thought something must be wrong; the razor can't be that aggressive on this low setting! Checking it out further afterwards I realized that after inserting the blade and inserting the head back on the base you can turn it back to 1 and a half, but you can also keep turning it all the way around again past 5 and back to 1 again. So I thought I had set it on one and a half but actually had it set on about a 6 and a half setting! I note that Paul H mentions something about even more aggressive settings for the Variant in one of his videos and in a Shaving with Rich video of Jan 17 he also has his Variant set wide open with a huge blade gap, way larger than the normal 5 setting.
Just wondering if you have had this experience or perhaps you have heard if anybody else has made the same mistake; or is my razor defective? Thanks Kevy.
Cheers, Chris

Hi Kevy, I’ve been using the Rockwell 6s but want another adjustable. Looking at the Parker Variant and possible the Merkur Futur. Guess you prefer the Parker? Do you prefer the silver or black handle? I always hear of poor quality but understand it’s better now.

How is this razor at setting 1? With which other razor you would compare it at setting 1? I am thinking of buying an adjustable because I usually use two razors for my two passes. My skin is sensitive so I cannot do more passes. I use an aggressive razor for the 1 pass and then a mild razor for the 2 pass. This is what works for me as many shavers like to say. The only mild razor that I have is the Wilkinson sword but I don't like it because it is very light. What is the mildest razor that you have used?(which is also a better quality than the wilkinson sword). Thanks!

Aye,this would be the next one for me no doubt even though I do like my only DE I have very much,the Gillette Slim Dial,why not have another razor..What is your opinion with this Parker compared to a Gillette Adjustable whether it be a Fat Boy or Slim Dial or another Gillette.? .I know it beats the Merkur now so I will not ask about that..

Besides this one (I got one and shaved with it, excellent) what other Parkers do you like, Kevy??

variant looks like a future......

wow. my only adjustable razor is the vintage gillette slim and i do like it i been looking to get a modern one but i wasn't convinced with the current options like the merkurs and bow im really thinking about getting this one but not sure witch one as i only have chromed razors i want something different i want the black handle but i would like to know if the black one. has a plastic handle or thats painted metal or just blavk plastic cause if that was the case id go with the chrome as i dont like the cheap feel of plastic in a razor so please if someone can help me so i can make up my mind on wich one to order thanks nice video by the way and sir thanks to you imade up my mind and bought the razorock german 37 slant last week anf i loved it so much im ordering another one today lol thanks

Update...they are selling this razor at most mail order shops as we speak

Excellent my friend.Thanks for nice sharing. All the best My like # 80 :) Anis* Subscribe me if you like Please

Orate youth just a quick question, why does tha soak tha blade inta warm water ? ps great video I prefer the Parker variant to the Murker future I never liked the look of the Murker, to modern looking. Yours sincerely Mr Bourne.

Nice review Kevy....will consider purchasing...

Thank you for the review :)

Excellent review, thank you. How I envy the ease with which you glide over your Adam's apple. Mine is much larger and a real pain as I have to shave round it, which can cause problems. Keep up the good work and my best to Riley.

I love my Variant! It's all I can imagine asking for in a daily driver. That soap sounds amazing as well. And you managed to combine a lot of P names into one shave together... Parker, Proraso, Polsilver, and Paolo! Looking forward to doing Parker, Personna, and Proraso soon myself, which is also 3 different countries starting with I. Anyway, great review.

I pulled the trigger on one of these bad-boys after seeing a few reviews ...I think mine is somewhere between Dubai and Sydney at the moment hehehe. Great shave Kev. Cheers!

Well done, Kevy! Can't believe your video is 1 day old with 900+ views already! Congrats!

Thanks for reviewing this adjustable razor. Hopefully you'll do a full shave at the highest noted settings. One reviewer compared a shave with the Parker Variant at '5' to a shave you would get from a Mühle R41 or iKon Tech -- and a shave at '5+1' to a Merkur Vision at it's highest setting, but smoother. If that's true, maybe I'll get one. I like my Merkur Progress, but am attracted to the knurling, base dial (and hopefully aggression/efficiency) that Parker brings to this adjustable razor.

Hopefully the Parker Variant adjustable safety razor gets a lot of publicity, so new wet-shavers can start out with a razor that will give them a lot more variety (and subsequent use) over time -- instead of a safety razor (outside of different blades) that limits you to one level of aggression.

I've noticed in general that the view on Parker in the wet shaving community is not extremely favorable, but recently I have seen more reviews. Thanks for this one. And I wish you the best on your play. Have fun with it!

Great shave, razor and the soap looked lovely! Spicy, Lavender and Black Pepper sounds like a wonderful scent. :)

good job Kevy but I m on trouble because now I m not able to choose merkur futur or parker variant??????????????.could you help me?

kevy on your next video can you hold it next to a merkur progress, the heads will probaly be on Parr with each other ... LoL

Real nice review Kevy. The Variant looks like a real winner. Thanks

Variant or R96 or both, decisions...decisions. Thanks for the review Kevy.

Thanks for another honest review, Kevy! Look forward to more from this razor.

Nice video Kevy. The new Parker looks nice. It's always fun to see new stuff!
Steve

Nice review Kevy, thanks for uploading. The Variant is a very nice looking razor (both.. variants), probably would have ordered it if it was available in the UK. The head looks really similar to the Merkur Progress.

Your goatee is coming along very nicely by the way, very thick but looks nice and tidy. Haha, made me chuckle when you mentioned the Spielberg thing. I stopped shaving for a week during the holidays to see how it looked, when I got back to shaving I wondered how I could ever have stopped. Have a good week Kevy!

I just received my black handled Variant on Saturday and after two shaves have absolutely loved it. At $57 it is a great price. On mine when tightened all the way down it goes past 1, back almost to the 5 setting. Does this happen with yours? Great video as always Kevy, cheers to 2017.

Price can only go up at 57...Merkur...just wouldn't listen.....get rid of that stupid yellow knob...and improve the grip...."Can you hear us now"...lol...Good job Parker!.....

Hi Kevy, got my all brushed chrome Variant last week from Super Safety Razors. My first shave was on setting 3 with one days growth which was a tad bit aggressive for me. Face felt a bit raw, few weepers. Next shave on two days growth - 1st pass at 2.5, second and third dialled it down to setting 1. Result was a close, comfortable BBS shave, I was impressed. The ability to dial up or down with a simple twist of knob, no having to open doors beforehand or switching of baseplates (though I love my 6s) between passes was really nice and key feature of the razor. I think the finish of the razor could be better (mine has some some finish blemishes on baseplate and numbering on knob could be crisper) but overall am enjoying the razor and is fast becoming one of my favourites. Looking forward to your Variant shaves at beyond the 3 zone, cause from what I hear, it becomes a real deli slicer... but I'll wait for you to try it first :-) Cheers!!
(ps... after setting 5, you can do another full circle and get a gap setting up to 11 or so...SCARY !!).

Top notch review - as usual.
Thanks Kevy.

Interesting razor Kevy and that soap looks great. I think I'll have to add that one to my list.

Hi Kevy... Ive been checking this razor out on different site's since I first heard about it over Xmas...So its really great that you are the first British guy as far as I know to review it!!...I like the idea of adjustable DE razors. But there is not to my knowledge many new company's making them...apart for Murkur and Rockwell...You have to go back to the vintage Gillette's and you know my recent experience of trying to get hold of one of those!! LOL....Thanks for the great review its helped me in my decision to purchase one...I just hope someone over hereAll starts stocking them soon..As I don't fancy ordering from the States at the moment after having my Fat boy stolen!!....Thanks again Kevy.. your review came just at the right time....All the best for the New year mate...Looking forward to watching and learning more from your videos throughout 2017....Kind Regards... Jez the Derby shaver....😁

Kevy I really like Your new look with the beard. Just like mine.

Kevy have You been ok. I have not seen You in a wile. I wanted to Wish You and the Mrs a very Happy New Year.

Great shave Kevy. Do you know if that soap is available in the U.K.?

I have the Parker Variant too. It is a good Razor :-)

Such a beautiful shaving tool. I really envious. Great Review and Demo. Thank You. :)

Hello from north of Russia Kevy. Thanks for the great video. I had a lot of interest to look at this shaving razor, because I love adjustable razors. I have a Progress and it looks better quality than Parker and it costs less. Parker's new razor and find their lovers.

definitely getting this razor been waiting for a video review nice one kevy:) brilliant video as always

I've been really interested in the Parker Variant. Thanks for doing a thorough review, Kevy. Hope it continues to perform for you. It appears that they addressed a lot of the concerns that people had with the Progress when they created this razor.

Perhaps the nearling is better than the progress

Watching you shave it's impossible to tell the difference between this Parker and the progress certainly looking at the razor head.

Ahhhh Polsiver my favorite blade I got a 100 pack and still love them

After I bought the Rockwell I stopped using my progress so now it sits in its original packaging guess Il have to sell it I don't think il ever uses other razors