Qshave Parthenon V2.0 – Has It Been Tamed?

I recently wrote that the original Qshave Parthenon adjustable DE razor was “a dangerous, fanged animal.”  Qshave now sells “V2” of the Parthenon.  Has the animal been tamed?  I bought one to see for myself.

The Original Qshave Parthenon Adjustable Razor

Amazon links are affiliate.

As I said in that previous article, the Parthenon, Viking’s Blade Crusader, and Weishi Nostalgic Adjustable razors–all launched at about the same time in 2018–appear to be based on the same basic twist-to-open (TTO) head design.  But each has their own “personality.”  The Original Parthenon’s distinction is its aggressiveness.  The mildest setting is quite aggressive and the high end is just…ridiculous.

The New Qshave Parthenon

Apparently I wasn’t the only one who thought the original Parthenon was a dangerous animal because Qshave recently launched “V2.0” of the razor (including a version that has a graphite diamond handle like the original) and have dropped the original version (at least from Amazon).  While the two versions may look the same at first glance, there are some subtle changes to the head and a not-so-subtle change to the adjustment range.

From the Parthenon page on Amazon:

• 9 Adjustable Settings: allows you to adjust the blade exposure and angle to determine how close you want your shave
• Butterfly Open: quick and easy blade change. Just simply twist the bottom dial, and replace the blade
• The balance center locates at the spot where your grips are. It gives you the best control to follow the contours of your skin.
• Parthenon is made of premium brass. Brass is not only strong and durable, but it is also resistant to rusting in a wet environment. So, it can be used for a long time.
• The end of the handle is magnetic, so you can easily pick up the blade on the counter.

Not mentioned are the minor changes in the head design.  The most obvious one to me is the safety bar, which has been changed from a “scalloped” type to a “solid” type.  More subtly is a change to the bottom of the head as well, though it is less obvious to me what this is for (better flow for rinsing?).

My Experience With The New Parthenon

I purchased “V2.0” with the graphite diamond-shaped handle as I generally prefer more texturing for a better grip when my fingers are wet.  This version is two grams heavier on my kitchen scale when compared to my original Parthenon (106 grams vs 104 grams).  I suspect this might be because of the graphite-coating on the handle but there may be some internal changes as well (I haven’t torn the razors apart…yet).

The adjustment dial on my “V2.0” is noticeably tighter than my original–I find I have to wrap a towel around the razor so I can get enough grip to change the setting when my hands are wet.

The new version seems to be a bit more susceptible to lather clogging, too.  Although it looks like that I can rinse it cleanly during the shave I have noticed residue on the head after the razor has dried.  Of course, my hard water may have something to do with that so YMMV.

But of course the big difference…the HUGE difference…is the adjustment range.  It’s actually usable for me now.  I find as long as I keep the adjustment dial under “3” it behaves much like the other adjustable razors I have tried (and I’ve tried a bunch).  Beyond that it starts showing its fangs to me again.

Conclusion

Of the three “triplets”–the Qshave Parthenon, the Viking’s Crusader, and the Weishi Adjustable–the design is based on, I personally still prefer the Weishi for the ergonomics (and lower price).

The Qshave Parthenon “V2.0” adjustable razor is probably the razor the original design should have been.  That original “dangerous, fanged animal” has been tamed–or at least chained.  I think it is now suitable for the majority of shavers.

What has been your experience with the Qshave Parthenon?  Leave your comments below!