How to (Safely) Shave With a Straight Razor and Get the Cleanest Cut Possible
It is not surprising that the expression “a close shave” is used to describe a dangerous, often near-death experience. Trusting another person with a sharp blade up against your neck in any other context would be an objectively bad idea. But when a skilled professional uses a straight razor, it is also the closest, most precise shave a man could ask for. Particularly for guys who find shaving to be an otherwise irritating process, a straight razor shave could save you from defaulting to a forever beard. If you're looking for advice on how to use a straight razor yourself as part of your grooming arsenal, we have you covered below.
The real risk is when you try to use a straight razor at home. You can cut yourself a lot worse than with a razor from the drugstore. That is why the T-shaped “safety razors” we know today were invented in the first place, explains Joe Caccavella Jr., barber and proprietor of Joe's Barbershop in Chicago—too many men were slicing up their faces.
The catch is that safety razors, which have a guard so only part of the blade is exposed, are made with multiple blades. “The more blades, the more chance for irritation of the part being shaved,” Caccavella says. On the other hand, a shave with a straight razor minimizes the risk of razor burn, ingrown hairs, acne, and minor irritation, but it raises the risk of an injury if you don't know what you're doing.
“There's definitely an art to using a straight razor shave,” Caccavella says. “Too much angle and you can filet the skin off your face. Not enough, or holding the razor too vertically, will scrape the skin and cause irritation and cuts.”
Like with any delicate art, you must study and practice it, or you will make a mess. It may be higher-stakes shaving than you’re used to, but with some advice from Caccavella and other experts, you’re in for some smooth blading.
Men’s Journal aims to feature only the best products and services. We update when possible, but deals expire and prices can change. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.
Related: I Tested All the Top Afteshaves and This Is the Best Option to Prevent Irritation
Who’s the Right Candidate to Use a Straight Razor?
According to dermatologist Margaret Schwarz, M.D., founder of Noted Dermatology, a free educational resource on skin health, straight razors are a good option for men with patience. That is because shaving with a straight razor requires time, above all else, to learn the technique and engage in the methodical process.
Likewise, straight razors are optimal for guys who experience repeated redness, razor burn, ingrown hairs, and other issues. “It allows for a very close shave and reduces irritation,” says Schwarz, echoing Caccavella’s sentiments. Finally, straight razors are a good fit for more eco-conscious individuals. “They’re environmentally friendly because there is no disposable waste.”
How to Prep the Skin to Use a Straight Razor
If you’re using a straight razor at home (as opposed to paying a pro), Caccavella recommends doing it in the shower or immediately after getting out. “The warmer the skin is, the better,” he says. “That is why a barber will apply multiple hot towels in a barbershop before the shave takes place.”
If you don’t feel like taking a full hot shower, apply a towel with warm water to your clean face for at least 30 seconds. Either way, the increased temperature softens hair follicles and opens the pores, making shaving easier.
How to Use a Straight Razor
Step 1: How to Hold the Razor and Your Skin
When holding a straight razor to your skin, every face is different, but experts agree that maintaining a 30-degree angle is crucial for safety and precision purposes. From there, “use a steady hand and tighten your wrist. Use your other hand to pull the skin firmly to make it smooth,” Caccavella says. Pulling and tightening the face makes hair follicles more accessible and minimizes the risk of cutting wrinkled or creased skin.
Step 2: Where to Start on Your Face
Schwarz suggests starting with the straight razor at the top area of the cheek, around the sideburn area, because it is the flattest part of the face to shave. Once you’re more experienced at using a straight razor, if you prefer to shave from a different starting point, it’s fine to deviate a little, Caccavella says. But for beginners, the top of the cheek is the easiest place to start.
Step 3: How to Use Efficient Strokes
When shaving with a straight razor, it is important not to rush. “The slower the better,” Caccavella says. Shaving with slower, shorter strokes reduces the risk of cutting yourself, but it also allows for a complete shave so you don’t have to go over the skin a second time, which is often the case with a standard T-shaped razor. “The more you go over the same area the more chance of irritation there is going to be,” he warns.
The best way to avoid this mistake is by using a clear, unscented shave oil, for maximum visibility. Caccavella uses Sixty8 Unscented Shave Oil at his shop. “It’s thick enough to not drip off the customer's face, yet thin enough to not make shaving a mess," Caccavella says. Clear, clean shaving oils moisturize and soothe irritation during the shave while making it easier to see what you’re doing. “You can't shave what you can't see.”
With more experience, your straight razor will glide more naturally and efficiently across your face, like an artist in a flow state.
Sixty8 Unscented Shave Oil
Courtesy Image
Step 4: How to Shave Your Neck, Chin, and Upper Lip
While shaving your cheek is the flattest and easiest place to start, shaving with a straight razor on your neck, chin, and upper lip can be trickier. Still, the same rules apply. First, prepare everything that’s being shaved the same way—mainly, if you didn’t wash your neck in a hot shower or use a warm towel for 30 seconds or more, double back to this step. Then, pull the skin tight with your non-blade hand and hold the blade at a 30-degree angle.
Once covered in shave oil, start from the top of the neck and gently shave downwards, with the grain, along the hairline. Be mindful of the curves in your Adam’s apple, and never force the straight razor. If the blade is not gliding naturally, shorten the distance of your shaving strokes to the distance between your pointer and thumb to make sure the skin is extra tight.
“When a barber is taught how to perform a correct straight razor shave, they are taught to shave within their fingers,” Caccavella explains. Loose skin gets cut and irritated, “especially when speaking of the skin around the Adam's apple and neck area. This is the No. 1 place a customer will have cuts and irritation.”
For the jaw, tighten the skin, pulling upward or downward, and use similarly slow strokes while adjusting your 30-degree angle along the curve of your jawline. When shaving the upper lip, pull the skin so you don’t cut your lips, and use shorter strokes around the nostrils.
Step 5: Skin Aftercare
After shaving with a straight razor, rinse your face and neck with cold water to close the pores, Schwarz suggests. Then, use aftershave or alcohol-free skin balm like Harry's Post-Shave Balm. Though balms like this do hydrate, Schwarz recommends using an additional fragrance-free moisturizer such as CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion.
If you don’t have patience for multiple products, Caccavella likes to keep aftercare simple with Vaseline Original Petroleum Jelly or other petroleum jelly products. “Cuts or not, a little Vaseline is great for the skin.”
Harry's Post-Shave Balm
Courtesy Image
CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion
Courtesy Image
Vaseline Original Petroleum Jelly
Courtesy Image
Dos and Dont’s
Do: Budget more time than you think you need.
Shaving with a straight razor takes longer than shaving with a safety razor, even if you know what you're doing. But if you’re still learning, it can take that much longer, so go into the process with patience and an open-ended schedule.
Don’t: Look for shortcuts.
Trying to expedite a straight razor shave with faster and longer strokes makes it harder to keep the skin tight and easier to slip on the 30-degree-angle positioning, all of which can lead to fileting your face. The bottom line is that a straight razor may not be the safest option if you don’t have time for a slow, careful shave.
Do: Keep it simple.
While some guys hate shaving, others get way too into the weeds with expensive specialty razors and balms when they don’t have to. “The definition of shaving is the removal of hair without irritation,” Caccavella says. Complicated products like “shavettes” may seem like a middle ground between a straight razor shave and a standard safety razor. Some men on Reddit speak highly of using a shavette, but Caccavella describes them as “a gimmick, plain and simple," which “gives off a mediocre shave, if that.”
Reviews are positive for the budget-friendly Giesen & Forsthoff Hollow Ground Beginners Straight Razor 5/8 (#407), if you're looking for a place to start with straight razor shopping.
Giesen & Forsthoff Hollow Ground Beginners Straight Razor 5/8 (#407)
Courtesy Image
Don’t: Forget to clean your straight razor.
Unlike safety razors that should be replaced every one to two weeks, a straight razor can last a lifetime, but you have to clean it thoroughly after every shave. If you don’t, bacteria and dead skin particles can build up. This dulls the blade and increases the risk of irritation and infection.
To clean a straight razor, run it under hot water and then dry it before applying Barbicide Disinfectant or another anti-fungal oil to keep the blade clean and ready for the next close shave.
Barbicide Disinfectant Concentrate
Courtesy Image
Do: Consult with a professional.
If you’re dissatisfied with the shave you’re getting from a safety razor but not sure about investing in a straight razor, paying a professional barber to do the job for you is a smart place to start. A professional straight razor shave will typically cost around $30, give or take, depending on the shop. Your local barber can give you some tips and tricks for maneuvering a straight razor at home, but “a professional shave is always going to be a man's best shave,” Caccavella says. “It's just how it is.“
Don’t: Continue being miserable with a safety razor.
If a straight razor shave from a pro solves your razor burn and other shaving problems, it may be time to upgrade to one at home. Using a straight razor on yourself can be intimidating at first, but if you’re willing to carve out the time to do it safely, it could lead to better skin and more confidence. But again, like any new art, you have to be willing to suck at it at first. “It all comes down to trial and error,” Caccavella notes. “The more effort you put into it, the better your shave will become.”
How to Store Your Straight Razor
After cleaning your straight razor with hot water and an anti-fungal oil, and thoroughly drying it, make sure it's stored in a dry, breathable container. This will prevent rust buildup, which can dull the blade and cause irritation, ingrown hairs, and razor burns, ultimately defeating the purpose of using a more dangerous (but more effective) razor in the first place.
Why You Should Trust Me
It is true that I have never successfully shaved my face with a straight razor, but if you’ve landed on this article, the chances are pretty high that you haven’t either. To make up for a lack of direct, personal experience, I relied on the expertise of a third-generation barber and a highly reviewed, board-certified dermatologist. Frankly, their insight has not only convinced me that a straight razor is the most effective way to shave but also given me the confidence to smooth out my Italian legs with one blade.