Parker Aeroshave Review: A Solid $65 Aluminum Razor
How’s it going? I’m doing the full breakdown on the Parker Aeroshave. I’ve had this one for a couple of months now, and when it first showed up, I thought the head looked a lot like the Rex Supply Page and a handful of other razors out there. I think my mind went straight to the Page because it’s one of the more recent aluminum releases, and one I’ve already reviewed. A couple things stand out right away: the cap, the blade gap, and the exposure. There are some similarities with the Page, but there are real differences too.
Let’s follow the same format I always use, starting with the efficiency score.
Efficiency Score
The blade gap on the Aeroshave is .023 of an inch. On the Page, it’s .020. So the gap is slightly larger here, .59mm on the Aeroshave. I’ve got the Flight on the way too, and when it lands I’ll do a proper comparison between the Page, the Aeroshave, and the Flight.
Exposure on the Aeroshave is slightly positive at .015mm, where the Page sits neutral. So head to head, the Aeroshave shaves a little more efficiently than the Page. I gave the Page a four on efficiency. The blade angle here is about 45 degrees.
One being the mildest razor I’ve ever used, ten being the most efficient, I’m giving the Aeroshave a dead-even five. This is a very average efficiency razor. Three passes and some cleanup gets me a damn fine shave, right up to BBS. Most of my shaves, if I’m running a Kai, a Feather, a Bolzano, a Bic Platinum, a Gillette Silver Blue, something on the sharper end, I can hit BBS in three passes plus a couple cleanups. It’s a great daily driver.
Symmetry Score
This one covers head thickness, weight and balance, whether the blade tabs are exposed, and the knurling, that’s the grip pattern on the handle.
There are two handle lengths. I’ve got the short one, they call it the Classic. Overall length is 84mm, about 3.3 inches. Weight comes in slightly heavier than the Page, 1.38oz or 39g. The head is thinner than the Page too. Not by a ton, but it’s thinner, and I’d call this a genuinely thin head. Blade tabs are completely covered, which is what you want on a modern double edge razor. Weight and balance land right where your fingers rest when you’re holding it. I like a shorter handle, and the balance point on this one hits exactly where it should.
Here’s where I’m dinging it, and I’m dinging it hard. The knurling is almost nonexistent. This reminds me of the Tatra, and a couple other razors that have tried this dimple pattern instead of real knurling. If this were stainless steel or a different material, I think the pattern would actually work. Because the handle’s short, I never had real problems with slip. But a new wet shaver could struggle, and if you get anything on your fingers at all, it’s slicker than snot. Even dry, as I’m holding it, I can feel the dimples, but they give me zero resistance.
Ten being the best score, five being average, this is an average symmetry score, a five. The only reason it holds even that is the weight and balance are dead on, the head is thin in a good way, and the blade tabs are covered.
Tolerance Score
This is blade alignment and chatter. Chatter’s handled well here, virtually none. I noticed a little with certain blades, but overall Parker did a good job clamping the blade down.
Blade alignment is where there’s room to improve. It’s hard to catch with the naked eye and even harder to photograph, but about half the time, the blade isn’t perfectly aligned in this razor. What that means in practice: one side has more blade exposed than the other, and you can feel it on your face. Flip the razor over, and it feels different: more blade on one side, less on the other, depending on how it’s hitting your skin. When alignment is perfect, you flip it and notice nothing. When it’s off, in extreme cases like some poorly aligned vintage razors, it can actually slice you. That’s not what’s happening here. This isn’t bad alignment; it’s just not perfect alignment.
Ten being perfect, I’m giving this a seven. Good job, not a great job.
Durability
I call this the permanent score: construction and materials. I love aluminum razors. I love razors made from pretty much anything: Bakelite, stainless, you name it. This one’s 6061 aluminum, and it’s going to last several lifetimes with a little care. Store it dry, don’t drop it, don’t throw it against a wall. Basic stuff. Ten being perfect, I’m giving it a nine. Parker sourced good aluminum here, and the machining looks solid throughout.
Friendliness to New Wet Shavers
For a first razor, I usually point people toward something around $30. This one runs $65 at The Shave Supply, and I’ve had a bunch of great shaves with it. Don’t let the score breakdown make you think otherwise.
I’m giving it a seven, with ten being an easy recommendation for a first razor. Seven means a lot of new shavers could pick this up and do just fine, as long as they know going in that it’s light. I saw a review on Amazon where the guy complained it felt like a toy because it was so light. Did he not read the description? It’s an aluminum razor. It weighs 39 grams. What did he think he was buying?
Value Score
This is for guys like me, guys with a den full of razors already. Five is average, ten is the best value ever. I’m giving this an eight. If you’re in the market for a new aluminum razor and you don’t already have the Page, this is a great addition. It doesn’t really do anything the Page wasn’t already doing for me, but I love it, I’m never getting rid of it, and you’ll see it again in future videos. If you want to see it in action, I used it in my cucumber tumbler review.
At $65, I think you get your money’s worth. The knurling was always going to be a letdown; I knew that going in. I was hoping for better blade alignment. Parker hasn’t always nailed alignment in the past, but they did better here than they have historically, and that gives me higher hopes for the Flight. It’s the little big things, my friends.
Good stuff, man. It really is. Don’t let the scores fool you; I’ve enjoyed every shave with this thing. Take care, and I’ll see you in the next one.