Shave Like Your Grandpa: Why You Should Consider Shaving With A Straight Razor

Shaving was not always the quick, convenient affair that we now have with our plastic safety razors.

When you restore old photos of men shaving at the barbershop or at home, you can see they always used a straight razor. Considering that most straight razors required a lot of maintenance, prep, and skill, it’s no surprise that the everyman shifted to cheaper safety razors eventually.

You’d think that with the affordability and safety of modern razors, the straight razor would be gone for good. So why is there a sudden resurgence in this old blade’s popularity? Keep reading to find out why you should consider shaving with a straight razor, and how it can help you get a clean, smooth jawline!

It Prevents Ingrown Hair And Razor Burns

The biggest benefit you will see from using a straight razor is that you will rarely get ingrown hair or razor burns. Safety razors use multiple blades to remove your hair, but the straight razor only uses one. If a safety razor has dulled or is of low quality, it can pull on your hair and cut just below your skin’s surface. This causes painful ingrown hair.

Having multiple blades also irritates the skin, especially when you have to run it over the surface repeatedly to get a close shave. This is because you remove a thin layer of skin every time your blade runs over it. This can damage your skin, causing razor burn. Because a straight razor only needs a single stroke and one blade to remove hair, it’s much gentler on sensitive skin.

It’s Not As Dangerous As You Think

It can be really daunting to have an open, straight razor that close to your skin. While the lack of a safety guard makes a straight razor a bit riskier to use, it’s unlikely that you’ll suffer much more than a small cut while you’re shaving.

The tip for ensuring a safe, close shave with a straight razor is to apply pressure sparingly and let the blade’s weight do the work. Keep each motion perpendicular to the blade – this will prevent you from nicking your skin. As long as you’re careful, you should enjoy a smooth, clean shave with nary a scratch!

It’s Better For The Environment

Disposable plastic shavers are obviously bad for the environment. But even if you get an electric razor or reusable razor, this will require you to buy and throw cartridges, double-edged razor blades, and packaging. Because there are no disposable parts in a straight razor, it has a much smaller environmental impact.

You can reduce your waste even more by ditching shaving cream and using the traditional lathering agent of a straight razor: shaving soap. Shaving soap is a great way to build a rich lather for a close shave, and it lasts for years when stored properly! Use it with a shaving brush for the full traditional shaving experience.

It Saves You Money

The initial investment in the old-fashioned way of shaving can be a bit pricey. You’ll have to buy a quality straight razor, a leather strop to sharpen the blade, shaving soap, and a shaving brush. It’s important to spring for high-quality materials because what you’re buying is something you’re looking to use for years – or even your whole lifetime.

Once you’ve spent on those things though, you’ve gotten rid of the regular expense of buying disposable blades, cartridges, shaving cream, batteries, and replacement parts. Those little things add up, especially when you consider how often you need to shave. While it will cost a bit more in the beginning, you will save a hefty amount in the long run!

It Gives You Full Control While You Shave

Safety razors are manufactured to be a one-size-fits-all tool. The downside of this is that it’s very difficult to shave around rounded areas or corners of the face, especially around the nose. This makes a lot of people struggle to maneuver it smoothly and prolongs your daily shave.

Safety razors are also a non-starter for men maintaining a beard, or men with thick facial hair. In many cases, the safety razor gets clogged up with little bristles before a full, clean shave can be achieved. This leaves them with only two choices: using multiple safety razors in one shaving session, or purchasing a beard trimmer to maintain their ideal length.

These are non-issues with a straight razor. With a straight razor, you can remove whole swatches of facial hair with just one neat stroke. Its flexibility also allows you to neatly trim smaller areas, so you have even more control over the appearance of your facial hair. Plus, if you have curly hair, thick hair, or a bushy beard, the straight razor is a superior option for getting a clean shave.

It’s Better For Your Skin

Apart from reducing irritation, straight razors are gentler for your skin because they lightly exfoliate it. When you shave, you remove the top layer of dead skin cells. Light, regular exfoliation stimulates collagen production and cell growth, leading to smoother and healthier skin.

Safety razors do exfoliate your skin too, but they have a big problem: they’re hard to clean. This causes dirt, hair, and other debris to get lodged between blades, leading to a dull blade prone to rusting. A rusted blade allows bacteria to grow, and every time you shave with that dull, rusty blade, you bring that bacteria into contact with your skin. This can cause acne and aggravate your skin.

Straight razors hold a much sharper edge than safety razors and can be quickly cleaned between each pass. That makes it much cleaner and less irritating to use!

Get The Smoothest, Cleanest Shave Possible

Grandpa’s trusty straight razor may just give you a better shave than your modern disposable safety razors. Take control of your daily shave and switch to this traditional tool.

Over time, you will learn how to find the proper angle and apply the right amount of pressure for a good, clean shave. With proper maintenance and regular cleaning, a straight razor will improve the quality of your shaving experience for years!