Product Overview

The Parker PTABK is the adjustable razor in the Parker barber range. It ships with three interchangeable inserts, each giving a different blade exposure, so one razor covers work that would otherwise need two.

Exposure is how far the blade edge stands proud of the guard. Low exposure is the forgiving setting for light growth and general shaving, medium is the everyday middle, and high exposure puts more edge in contact for detailed work and shape ups. You change it by swapping the insert, not by turning a dial.

The whole razor is stainless steel with a black finish, handle and blade arm alike, at 1.7 oz and 5.5 in.

Key Features

• ✓ Three exposure inserts: low, medium and high
• ✓ All stainless steel with a black finish
• ✓ Push type blade carrier
• ✓ Takes any double edge blade, snapped in half
• ✓ 5 half double edge blades included
• ✓ Weight 1.7 oz, length 5.5 in

What Is Included

• ✓ Parker PTABK straight barber razor
• ✓ 5 half double edge blades
• ✓ 3 interchangeable exposure inserts, low, medium and high

The five blades are supplied loose in the box and are not fitted in the razor, so load a blade before the first shave.

Product Specifications

How This Barber Razor Works

A barber razor of this kind is not a traditional hollow ground straight razor. Nothing is honed or stropped. You snap an ordinary double edge blade in half and load one half into the head, which gives you a fresh, genuinely sharp edge every time for the price of half a blade.

On a push type the half blade slides onto a carrier that pushes into the head, rather than being folded under a clip arm. It is quicker to load once you know the action, and there is no arm to spring open, but the blade has to be seated fully home before you start.

Who This Razor Is Best For

Weight and Shaving Feel

The PTABK weighs 1.7 oz and measures 5.5 in. What changes the feel here is not the weight but the insert: low exposure is noticeably more forgiving of a clumsy angle, while high exposure bites sooner and rewards a steady hand. Most people leave the medium insert in and keep the other two for specific jobs.

How a razor feels is subjective and varies from one shaver to another. Beard type, blade choice, lather and technique all affect the result, so treat these descriptions as a general guide rather than a promise about your own shave.

Getting the Best from Your Razor

1. Prepare the skin first. Many shavers find a hot shower or a warm damp towel before the shave makes a difference.
2. Build lather with a shave soap or cream. A shave brush lifts the hair and spreads the lather more evenly.
3. Let the razor do the work and apply very little pressure. Hold the head at a shallow angle to the skin rather than pressing it flat.
4. Take the first pass with the grain, then reduce further on later passes if you want to.
5. Rinse the head under running water between passes rather than tapping the razor on the sink.
6. Change the blade once it starts to feel rough or drag. Blade life varies between individuals.

Care and Storage

Rinse the razor under warm running water after every shave and shake the water off. Open the head and rinse underneath it as well, because lather and cut hair collect there more than anywhere else on the razor.

Remove the blade before you put the razor away, and never store it with a blade loaded. Rinse the head, the insert and the handle, dry them, and keep the razor somewhere dry and open to the air. Keep the two spare inserts with the razor so the set stays together.

Keep unused blades dry and stored in their original packaging. Place used blades in a sealed Razor Blade Bank or another puncture-resistant container. Never place loose blades directly in household trash.

Shipping and Returns

Ships fast from Montreal, Canada. Free shipping in Canada on orders $49+.

See our Shipping Policy and Return & Refund Policy for full details.

Frequently Asked Questions