Parker 99R vs Edwin Jagger DE89
The real difference is not the shave. It is what happens on blade-change day, and how heavy the razor is while you do everything else.
By Sawyer V. · Published
We have not tested any of this. Everything below is compiled from published manufacturer specifications, and the arithmetic is printed so you can check it. This page carries affiliate links: if you buy through one we earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and it does not change the order of the picks. Full disclosure.
The short answer
Buy the Parker 99R if handling a bare blade is the part that puts you off. Twist the handle, the doors open, the old blade drops out and a new one drops in - at a published 100 grams over a 114 mm brass handle. Buy the Edwin Jagger DE89 if you want the lighter, simpler razor: 68 grams, chrome over solid brass, an 83 mm handle and a two-piece head with nothing to go wrong.
| # | Pick | Lasts | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parker 99R Changing blades without touching one | 5,200 shaves* | 8.8/10 | $31.77 - view on Amazon |
| 2 | Edwin Jagger DE89 The same shave with a longer grip | 5,200 shaves* | 8.9/10 | $36.42 - view on Amazon |
Prices last verified October 19, 2026. They move constantly; the figure on Amazon when you click is the real one.
The mechanism is the whole comparison
These two razors shave very similarly. Both are classic closed combs, both take any standard double-edge blade, and neither publishes a blade gap. What genuinely differs is how you get a blade into them, and how much metal you are holding while you shave.
- Parker 99R - twist to open. Turning the handle opens two doors at the top of the head. The old blade drops out, the new one drops in, the doors close over it. Your fingers never go near an edge.
- Edwin Jagger DE89 - two pieces. Unscrew the handle, lift the cap off, place the blade over the posts, reassemble. Thirty seconds, and you are holding a bare blade for about five of them.
Published figures
| Parker 99R | Edwin Jagger DE89 | |
|---|---|---|
| Loading | Butterfly, twist-to-open | Two-piece |
| Weight | 100 g | 68 g |
| Handle length | 114 mm | 83 mm |
| Material | Brass handle, chrome | Chrome over solid brass |
| Head | Closed comb | Closed comb |
| Blade gap | Not published | Not published |
| Warranty | Not published | Not published |
Where the Parker wins
- Blade changes. The entire point, and it genuinely removes the one step that makes people hesitate.
- Heft. A published 100 grams does the pressing-prevention job the way a heavy razor is supposed to.
- Handle length. 114 mm suits large hands and makes the underside of a jaw easier to reach.
- Price. It is typically the cheaper of the two.
Where the Edwin Jagger wins
- Nothing to fail. Two pieces and a threaded post. There is no hinge, no door, no mechanism.
- Weight. 68 grams is enough to stop you pressing without making a three-pass shave feel like work.
- Published dimensions. Edwin Jagger states its figures properly, which on this site counts for something.
- Cleaning. It disassembles completely, so soap scum has nowhere to hide.
The honest cons, both ways
Parker: the hinge is a wear point and the head traps lather, so it wants rinsing through after every shave and a proper clean periodically. At 100 grams it is the heaviest razor in this comparison, which is not to everyone's taste.
Edwin Jagger: you handle the blade every time, the handle is the shortest of the two, and mechanically it offers nothing the Merkur 34C does not - that comparison is the one to read if you are choosing between those two instead.
The verdict
Nervous about blades, or large hands: the Parker 99R. The butterfly head solves a real problem and the long handle solves another.
Everyone else: the Edwin Jagger DE89. Lighter, simpler, fully published dimensions, and a razor with no mechanism is a razor that cannot develop one's faults.
Neither choice changes the shave much. Technique and blade choice do far more for your face than picking between these two.
Every pick, with the working
Each entry shows the published specifications, the axis scores they produce and what you give up. The order is the computed order, not a commercial one, and the arithmetic is open underneath every score.
Our pickChanging blades without touching one
Parker 99R
The 99R is a twist-to-open butterfly: the doors open, the old blade drops out, the new one drops in, the doors close. If the part of this that worries you is handling a bare double-edge blade, that mechanism is the answer, and at 100 grams over a 114 mm brass handle it has the heft to go with it.
- Weight
- 100 g
- Length
- 114 mm
- Material
- Brass handle, nickel head
- Head
- Butterfly twist-to-open, straight bar
- Blade gap
- Not published
- Blades in the box
- Not published
- Made in
- India
- Refill
- Universal standard
- Warranty
- Not published
- Assumed service life
- 5,200 uses
The arithmetic: 260 shaves a year x 20 years of assumed service life = 5200 shaves.
What it gets right
- Butterfly twist-to-open head — you never pick up a loose blade
- 100 g over a 114 mm handle, the longest grip in this ledger
- Brass handle with a nickel head; standard blade fitment
- Parker has built this model in India since the 1970s, so it is not a novelty
Flaws
- A butterfly mechanism is more moving parts than a two-piece, and more to eventually loosen
- Parker does not publish a blade gap
- The doors trap soap; it needs rinsing more thoroughly than a three-piece
The working behind the 8.8
- How long it lasts: not scored
- Not scored. This is a durable item, not a consumable, so how long it lasts is an assumption about service life rather than something the pack size tells us.
- Ease of switching: 9.0
- Butterfly head removes the single step new wet shavers most dislike, handling a bare blade (++), 100 g (+), 114 mm handle (+), more moving parts to eventually wear (-).
- Refill economics: 10.0
- The refill is a commodity standard that dozens of factories make, so the price is set by competition and no single maker can raise it.
- What the maker publishes: 7.1
- 5 of 7 specifications a buyer would expect are published: weightG, lengthMm, material, madeIn, headType. Not published: bladeGapNote, bladesIncluded. 5 / 7 x 10 = 7.1.
Axes with no published input are dropped and the remaining weights re-normalized, so a product is not punished for a category where an axis does not apply. Specifications compiled 3 September 2026 from Parker 99R listed specifications (Maggard Razors).
2The same shave with a longer grip
Edwin Jagger DE89
Mechanically the DE89 is the same proposition as the Merkur: 68 grams, closed comb, chrome over solid brass, nothing to adjust. The difference is the handle, which at 83 mm gives a longer purchase, and the fact that Edwin Jagger publishes its dimensions properly. If the Merkur's short handle is the thing putting you off, this is the answer and you lose nothing.
- Weight
- 68 g
- Length
- 93 mm
- Material
- Chrome-plated solid brass
- Head
- Closed comb, straight guard
- Blade gap
- Not published
- Blades in the box
- 0
- Made in
- England (Sheffield)
- Refill
- Universal standard
- Warranty
- Not published
- Assumed service life
- 5,200 uses
The arithmetic: 260 shaves a year x 20 years of assumed service life = 5200 shaves.
What it gets right
- 83 mm handle against Merkur's shorter grip, which is the whole reason to pick it
- Machined from solid brass, triple-plated and hand-polished, made in Sheffield
- Published overall length, handle length and weight — more than most of this category discloses
- Standard double-edge blade fitment
Flaws
- Three-piece design means the head comes apart into two pieces over a sink
- No blade included
- Chrome plating over brass, so the same long-run edge wear as the Merkur
The working behind the 8.9
- How long it lasts: not scored
- Not scored. This is a durable item, not a consumable, so how long it lasts is an assumption about service life rather than something the pack size tells us.
- Ease of switching: 8.5
- Closed comb (+), no adjustment (+), 68 g (+), 83 mm published handle length, the longest grip of the mild three (+), three-piece head (-).
- Refill economics: 10.0
- The refill is a commodity standard that dozens of factories make, so the price is set by competition and no single maker can raise it.
- What the maker publishes: 8.6
- 6 of 7 specifications a buyer would expect are published: weightG, lengthMm, material, madeIn, headType, bladesIncluded. Not published: bladeGapNote. 6 / 7 x 10 = 8.6.
Axes with no published input are dropped and the remaining weights re-normalized, so a product is not punished for a category where an axis does not apply. Specifications compiled 3 September 2026 from Edwin Jagger DE89 published specifications.
Prices last verified October 19, 2026. They move constantly; the figure on Amazon when you click is the real one.
Questions people actually ask
Is a butterfly razor less reliable?
It has a mechanism where the other has none, and any mechanism can eventually loosen. In practice a well-made TTO lasts for years; the trade is that a two-piece razor has literally nothing to fail.
Which is better for a beginner?
The DE89 shaves like the Merkur 34C with a longer handle, which makes it one of the standard first razors - the beginner roundup covers it. The Parker is the better first razor specifically for somebody nervous about loading blades.
Does the extra weight of the Parker help?
It helps you stop pressing, which is the main beginner error. It also makes a three-pass shave more tiring, and on a long handle the balance is different from a compact razor.
Do both take standard blades?
Yes - any double-edge blade fits either. Change intervals are here, and blade choice matters more than either razor on a given morning.
Which is easier to clean?
The two-piece, marginally: it comes apart completely and every surface is reachable. A butterfly head has a hinge and a chamber that trap soap, which is why a periodic clean matters more on it.
Are they equally aggressive?
Neither publishes a blade gap, so we cannot compare them on the figure that would decide it. Both are sold as mild-to-medium classic heads and both suit daily shaving.