Reddit reviews Parker 24C -Three Piece OPEN COMB Double Edge Safety Razor & 5 Premium Double Edge Blades

You can do better for less money shopping on sites other than Amazon, but you can do okay there if you're careful.

For a razor I'd get an Edwin Jagger Kelvin. The Parker 24c is another viable option; I just don't like the way it looks. And if you're the clumsy type, the Merkur 34c is less likely to break if you drop it or knock it off the counter. In terms of shave quality, I'd say Merkur < Edwin Jagger < Parker, but the differences aren't huge. For build quality EJ is a big step above Merkur and Parker.

There are some great synthetic brushes on the market, but AFAIK none of them are available on Amazon. Which means, in your price range, that boar bristles are the only viable option. The Omega 10049 is a big brush that will break in quickly. I actually prefer the small Semogues such as the 1460, but they take a ton of time (or a fair amount of work) to break in.

For shave soap, I really like Pre de Provence. It's a big puck of hard soap, so it'll last you a very long time. Cella is another top performer (far better than, say, Proraso) for an affordable price. I've also heard good things about Soap Commander and Wet Shaving Products' "Rustic" line. Whatever you do, stay away from Col. Conk and Blades Grim.

For blades, just don't. Go to Try a Blade and get a double helping of their top ten sampler. Once you've found your favorite blade, go back to Amazon and see if you can't get a good price on 100 of them.

If there's anything else you need from Amazon, get it and pick up your shave gear elsewhere. For example, the Maggard Razors budget starter kit is outstanding, and is about to get better with the inclusion of their self-branded synthetic brushes. For $40 you can put together a kit that's a step up from the $60 worth of stuff I recommended on Amazon. But if it's gotta be Amazon, you at least have some viable options.

Edited to add final paragraph.

I got both and are awesome; Mildest Merkur 1904 less mild but still milder than the NEW is the Parker 24c

The parker 24c or 26c, same head different handles, has really positive reviews around here. According to Leisureguy; it's both a very comfortable and very efficient razor. It's also a very affordable being under 30.

Some have had the paint come of the 26c, so the 24c is probably the better one.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00IDDW4Y6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1425633442&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SY200_QL40&keywords=parker+24c&dpPl=1&dpID=51pw-F%2BZ5cL&ref=plSrch

Weishi razors aren't all that great, and that isn't a particularly good price for one either.

Some razors on Amazon.ca you might want to look into include:

• Edwin Jagger Kelvin
  
• Parker 24C
  
• Merkur Classic
  
  If you are willing to shop from other vendors, ItalianBarber.com is a Canadian vendor and they offer some good starter kits at fair prices. The "Super Ridiculous Value Starter Kit" would be my personal pick. You get a good quality razor, brush and soap. The "Eleganza" kit is also a good choice. Both are out of stock at the moment because the brush that they come with is out of stock. It should be back in stock in a couple of weeks.
  
  If you are willing to pay a little more money to ship up from the U.S. the "Maggard Razors Basic Traditional Shaving Starter Kit" is another amazing value. In fact, I like this kit a little more than the ItalianBarber kits because I like the Maggard soaps better (they're great!) and you can customize your razor and soap selections

If you HAVE to buy from Amazon.ca, the Parker 24C and the Edwin Jagger DE89 are available as /u/ketchuegrast mentioned. I'll put the links at the end of this post.

Italian Barber is in Canada and has some awesome choices for brushes, razors, and soaps, but they charge in US dollars. The products are for sure shipped from Canada however.

The Badger Shaving Co is based in Vancouver and payment is in Canadian dollars. I would say if your mom is hesitant, that could be your best chance to convince her to buy from a smaller merchant with better products. They have the Sterling synthetic brushes, a wide selection of artisan soaps, and some really good starter kits that include razors.

Mens Essentials is in Canada and payment is in Canadian dollars too... and they have a store if you live in that area, but it's a big country, so I'm guessing that's not going to be an option. ;)

If she still says Amazon or nothing you can always get your razor from Amazon and then pick up some Proraso soap from a Shopper's Drug Mart. Most malls also have House of Knives, and they sell Taylor of Old Bond St shaving cream for a good price. That might be easier for you to learn to lather with hard water too.

Feel free to PM me if your mom wants to email me about Badger Shaving and I'd be happy to answer any questions. A guy named Travis owns the company and he is awesome, so he would of course answer any questions as well.

Here are links to what I would say are the 2 best starter razors on Amazon.ca

http://www.amazon.ca/Edwin-Jagger-De89lbl-Double-Safety/dp/B002RBF1PO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452910352&sr=8-1&keywords=DE89

http://www.amazon.ca/Parker--Three-Double-Safety-Razor/dp/B00IDDW4Y6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452909274&sr=8-1&keywords=parker+24C

I'll try and see if I can purchase from Italian Barber but I'd like to get as much stuff from Amazon if possible, otherwise I'll look to local malls etc. for the soap.

Out of these three (Edwin Jagger De89bl, Parker 26C, Parker 24c) what would you recommend for someone that'd like a really, really close shave but with sensitive skin?

I actually saw some of the horse-hair brushes but they're a little on the pricier side for my liking, which is why I was looking at synthetic brushes. Are there any you could recommend at ~$20 CAD? I know I'm asking for a lot so bear with me.

Thanks a lot :)

In that case go ahead and order from Amazon. I would pick something like this:

• Edwin Jagger Kelvin. This one has knurled handle for better grip. But I believe the handle is shorter little bit. All the Edwin Jagger razors use the same razor head. I personally have a smooth handle Edwin Jagger DE86 and don't have issues with it. Another option is the Parker 24c/26c.
  
• Omega 10048 boar brush. Or if you want something smaller Omega 10065 boar brush.
  
• Pre de Provence shaving soap. Or if you want a shaving cream, perhaps the Proraso Sandalwood shaving cream. But note that some people can be sensitive to Sandalwood. Cella is another good choice. It's an Italian soft soap.
  
  So basically switch out the Van Der Hagen kit. Because the soap is okayish at best, the brush is pretty bad, and the bowl is mainly intended to hold the soap puck. Instead you can buy a quality boar brush and a good shaving soap/cream. For bowl lathering you can use any small sized bowl you have in your house. Approximately 3 inches deep and 5-6 inches in diameter would be a good size. You can also find something from your local supermarket for couple of dollars. Alternatively you can face lather which removes the need for a bowl.
  
  This post has general information about shaving brushes.

I would recommend a few substitutions, which in fact should save you money while still delivering a first-rate experience:

Parker 24C - better, IMO, than the EJ: somewhat more comfortable and more efficient. $29 including shipping if you're Amazon Prime. (They're out of stock at Maggards: that's how good they are.)

For a brush, I recommend one of the Omega S-Series brushes. The link is just to show you the range available; Maggard also sells S-Series brushes, though not such a variety.

I would recommend one of the shaving soaps: Maggard sells a good variety of artisanal soaps. Go with the Strop Shoppe, or Seifenglatt, or Maggard Artisanal, or Catie's Bubbles. Soap Commander's probably good as well: I've simply not tried it. Or The Drunken Goat.

Other than that, looks great. You'll probably want a styptic. See this discussion of alum v. styptic.

Not super clear what you're asking about... for lack of a better source:
https://www.amazon.com/Parker-Three-Safety-Razor-Premium/dp/B00IDDW4Y6

​

The second picture, is that what you are seeing?

Oh, well here's the link. Price went up 7$ from last year :(

Might be worth shopping around.

If you want one, and fast, get the Parker 24c - with Prime shipping, you can get it in two days.

Damn fine razor from what I've heard, universally great reviews with notes from Leisureguy (and others) stating that it's the go-to recommendation for a first razor, being both very comfortable and very efficient.

Though if you can wait a bit, might be better to order from Maggard Razors, since supporting small business is always a great idea, and they won't let you down in terms of customer service or product quality.

I did look at the [Parker 24c] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IDDW4Y6/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_qGBFwb68BM08B) last night but got a little nervous about the open comb design. Thanks for the advice by the way. I hate the learning curve when it comes to new interests sometimes.

I'll second that recommendation of the Parker 24C or 26C. I have the 24C and it's my third razor (others being a 1954 Gillette Super Speed Flare Tip and a Merkur long handle) and I absolutely love it. They're $29 on Amazon.

Everything is good except the blade sampler and razor. If you're looking to buy on prime, then get this razor.

http://www.amazon.com/Parker--Three-Double-Safety-Razor/dp/B00IDDW4Y6/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1427745762&sr=1-1&keywords=parker+24c