Parker 96R Review

The Parker 96R is a classic safety razor that has been around for several years. It is a simple yet effective razor that is perfect for those just starting to wet shave thanks to the balanced weight and beginner-friendly form factor.

Plus its competitive price will easily work into any man’s budget.

In this review, we’ll take a close look at the Parker 96R including the design and shave quality.

We’ll also compare it to some of the other popular safety razors on the market so you can see its the right razor for you.

Let’s begin:

Highlights

Features	Parker 96R
Comb	Closed
Safety Bar	Straight
Head Composition	Brass
Handle Composition	Brass
Handle	Knurled
Plating	Graphite, Chrome
Country of Origin	India
Blade Compatibility	All double-edge safety razors
Number of Pieces	1
Weight (oz)	2.79
Weight (g)	79
Length (in)	4.3
Length (cm)	10.9
Price	$30

Weight

The Parker 96R weighs 2.79 ounces, which is a touch heavier than the Merkur 34C (2.72 ounces) and Muhle Rytmo (2.47 ounces) yet substantially lighter than the Parker 99R (4.0 ounces).

You might be wondering, why weight is important.

The reason being, is that the weight affects the razor’s heft or how heavy it feels in hand. Subsequently, this directly impacts shave performance. When you have a heavy razor, you simply let it glide and the weight can do the bulk of the shaving (no extra pressure is necessary).

However, a heavier razor can be more difficult to maneuver for some. Conversely, a lighter razor may be easier to maneuver but may not give as close of a shave.

Curious how the Parker 96R stacks up to some other safety razors? Here’s a chart comparing the 96R to the rest of the field:

Here’s the table of the data:

Safety Razor	Weight (oz)	Weight (g)
Parker 96R	2.79	79
Bevel	3.1	88
Edwin Jagger DE89	2.36	67
Feather AS-D2	3.4	96
Merkur 23C	2.12	60
Merkur 34C	2.72	77
Merkur 37C	2.72	77
Merkur 38C	3.88	110
Merkur Futur	4.44	126
Muhle R41	3.17	90
Muhle R89	2.4	68
Muhle Rytmo	2.47	70
OneBlade Core	2.33	66
Parker 26C	3.4	96
Parker 55SL	3.4	96
Parker 99R	4	113
Parker Variant	3.87	110

Length

At 4.3″, the Parker 96R is an excellent razor for those with larger hands. Its length makes it easy to grip and maneuver, and its weight is evenly distributed, making it feel balanced in hand.

However, its length can also be a drawback, especially if you have modestly-sized hands. If this is true for you, then consider the Merkur 34C instead, you’ll be much happier with the size.

On the other hand (pun intended), the Parker 99R (3.8″) is a step smaller still than the 96R. Making it a good middle-of-the-road option if you are undecided.

Here’s a graph of how 96Rs length compares to other popular safety razors:

Here’s the length data for each of the safety razors referenced in the previous chart:

Safety Razor	Length (in)	Length (cm)
Parker 96R	4.30	11
Bevel	4.41	11
Edwin Jagger DE89	3.74	10
Feather AS-D2	3.54	9
Merkur 23C	4.20	11
Merkur 34C	3.19	8
Merkur 37C	3.31	8
Merkur 38C	4.00	10
Merkur Futur	4.25	11
Muhle R41	4.21	11
Muhle R89	3.75	10
Muhle Rytmo	3.70	9
OneBlade Core	4.53	12
Parker 26C	3.75	10
Parker 55SL	4.00	10
Parker 99R	3.80	10
Parker Variant	4.00	10

Handle

The Parker 96R has a diamond-knurled handle, which provides a more secure grip than other handle types. This is especially important when your hands are soapy or slippery as is often the case when you’re shaving.

The neck features a contrasting chrome-plating that provides a touch of refinement.

Pieces

The Parker 96R is a single-piece safety razor. This variety is also known as a butterfly razor. The term butterfly refers to the fact that the blade is exposed by unscrewing the handle, somewhat like a butterfly’s wings.

Maintenance is easy, with only the blade ever needing to be replaced.

Despite the low-maintenance form-factor, trying to clean between the head and the handle can be difficult – especially more-so when compared to a two or three-piece razor.

Performance

When shaving with the Parker 96R, you can expect a smooth shave with good control. The butterfly opening makes it easy to rotate blades, and the razor is relatively gentle. The safety bar will help to flatten the skin to help reduce the occurrence of small nicks or cuts to the skin. Additionally, the small grooves along the safety bar help feed your facial hair to the cutting blade.

You might not achieve baby butt smooth results with a single pass, but should you go across or against the grain a few times, you should get a great, close shave. This razor performs well on sensitive skin and all facial hair types.

Country of Origin

The Parker 96R razor is made in India. While not as reputable as some other countries, notably Germany and Japan, expect to see some great savings on product cost which reflects in the price of a Parker 96R.

Although, you’ll see in a minute, some quality control issues were reported with this razor.

Blades

The Parker 96R is compatible with all double-edge safety razor blades, which is important because it allows you to test various brands and find the one that works best for you and your facial hair type.

Reviews

Aside from our own analysis, we also looked at reviews from other shaving sites, on YouTube, and online stores to see what others had to say about the Parker 96R razor.

Here’s what we found:

The main complaints seem to be about the quality control of the product, with some people saying that their razor came with a crooked head or that the butterfly fastening degraded quickly. However, other people loved the smoothness of the shave and had no issues with the razor.

Here’s a few videos of other men reviewing the 96R:

Overall, it the Parker 96R is a great razor for most, but may not last as long as some of the more premium options available.

Other Parker Razors

The 96R isn’t the only safety razor that Parker makes. Check out these other comparable models:

• Parker 99R: This is another mild razor. Great for sensitive skin and features a closed comb razor that reduces tug on facial hair. The chrome plating gives it a sleek look, and the knurled handle provides a good grip.
• Parker Variant: Much more aggressive razor, well-suited for thicker facial hair. The adjustable comb allows you to customize your shave and the scalloped safety bar provides a more comfortable shave. The graphite and chrome plating is the same as the 96R and provides that familiar and confident grip.
• Parker 26C: An open comb option that is good for experienced wet shavers. It is very aggressive razor and works well for those with thick facial hair.

Here’s a table comparing many of the popular Parker safety razors:

Feature	Parker 96R	Parker 99R	Parker Variant	Parker 26C	Parker 55Sl	Parker Adjustable Single Edge Injector
Comb	Closed	Closed	Closed (Adjustable)	Open	Slant	N/A
Safety Bar	Straight	Straight	Scalloped	None	Scalloped	Straight
Head Composition	Brass	Brass	Brass	Brass	Brass	Stainless Steel
Handle Composition	Brass	Brass	Brass	Brass	Brass	Stainless Steel
Handle	Knurled	Swirl	Knurled	Knurled	Knurled	Plastic
Plating	Graphite, Chrome	Chrome	Graphite, Chrome	Graphite, Chrome	Graphite, Chrome	N/A
Country of Origin	India	India	India	India	India	India
Blade Compatibility	All double-edge safety razors	All double-edge safety razors	All double-edge safety razors	All double-edge safety razors	All double-edge safety razors	Injector blades only
Number of Pieces	1	1	2	3	3	1
Weight (oz)	2.79	4	3.87	3.4	3.4	1.24
Weight (g)	79	113	110	96	96	35
Length (in)	4.3	3.8	4	3.75	4	4.96
Length (cm)	10.9	9.6	10.2	9.5	10.2	12.6
Price	$30	$32	$57	$32	$32	$34

The Verdict

Here’s a summary of the pros and cons of the Parker 96R that we found: