Looking for the best straight razor for beginners? Perfect. You are in the right place.
Table of Contents
- 3 best straight razors for beginners
- Factors to consider when buying
- How to use a straight razor (beginner’s guide)
A straight razor (single edge blade) is a tool that’s been around for centuries and continues to rise in popularity among barbers and men who want a clean shave. Straight razors are great for shaving and provide a great shave but using one is not the same as using a traditional razor or electric razors. This makes it important to find the right straight razor for your needs, especially as a beginner.
The good news is that we’re going to take you through a handful of the best straight razors for beginners. We’ll take you through products like the Utopia Care Professional Barber Straight Edge Razor, which is safe and made with professional quality. Moreover, we’ll help you narrow down your options with an in-depth buyer’s guide below. There, we’ll take you through some factors to consider before picking up your first Straight razor.
Top 3 Best Straight Razors for Beginners
Below are 3 of the best straight razors for beginners.
1. Top Pick: Utopia Care Professional Barber Straight Edge Razor
Why We Like It: We love the Utopia Care Professional Barber Straight Edge Razor because it has the cutting power and durability of a professional straight razor with the safety features beginners need.
Quick Facts
- Blades: 100
- Material: Stainless Steel
- Edge exposure: 5.08 centimeters
The Utopia Care Professional Barber Straight Edge Razor is a great blade for beginners. It’s made with Japanese stainless steel (430 grade) that’s resistant to rust and corrosion. While it’s made with great steel and boasts impressive cutting power, its rounded edge makes it safe to cut with. Plus, it features a safety guard that prevents your fingers from slipping and touching the blade. Another great feature that makes it safe for beginners is the matte black finish that rests on top of the blades. This ergonomic design prevents finger slippage and enhances comfort for new and experienced handlers.
What Sets It Apart
The Utopia Care Professional Barber Straight Edge Razor is unique for a few reasons.
First and foremost, the 430-grade Japanese stainless steel is tough to beat. High-quality steel like that is usually found in more expensive products for professional barbers.
Another unique feature is the ergonomic design. While many straight razors have ergonomic designs, the Utopia Care Professional Barber Straight Edge Razor’s design combines safety and performance in a way that’s safe for beginners. With this razor, the chances of slipping or even cutting your face are low.
Plus, it’s designed to cut at a 30-degree angle, which is more manageable for less expensive users.
Things to Consider
The Utopia Care Professional Barber Straight Edge Razor is a great product for beginners. Keeping this in mind, it’s not perfect. This is because it’s a beginner-friendly straight razor, so it lacks the performance and precision of more advanced straight razors. If this razor is too beginner-friendly for you, we recommend a more well-rounded product like the Black Widow Barber Straight Razor. While beginner-Friendly, it gives users more freedom and shaving angles.
Who It’s For
The Utopia Care Professional Barber Straight Edge Razor is a great product for beginners. Its 30-degree cutting angle is easy to learn and it comes with all the safety features you need. Utopia Care Professional Barber Straight Edge Razor also comes with 100 blades to help you get started and rust-resistant steel in case you forget to wash all of the shaving cream off. Overall, it’s our top pick because it’s the most forgiving straight razor to use.
Pros
- 430-grade Japanese stainless steel
- Ergonomically rounded edge with good blade exposure
- Easy to learn cutting angles
- Matte black finish
- The blade is locked when not in use
Cons
- Basic design
- Not the best blade exposure
2. Upgrade Pick: Black Widow Straight Razor
Why We Like It: We love the Black Widow Barber Straight Razor because it’s a barber-grade blade that has a small learning curve for beginners.
Quick Facts
- Blades: 10
- Material: Stainless steel
- Weight: 2.5 ounces
The Black Widow Barber Straight Razor is one of the most adaptable blades available. While it has a low price, the blade is suitable for both beginners and more advanced straight razor users. Plus, it’s compatible with more than one blade type. In fact, you can use double-edge blades if you snap them in half. The Black Widow Barber Straight Razor also has an ergonomic design that’s comfortable to use and several safety features to prevent injuries. Some examples include the thumb hook and ridges on the handle to prevent slipping, a blade locking armature, two locking pins. It’s also made with premium rust-resistant steel that protects the blade for decades.
What Sets It Apart
The Black Widow Barber Straight Razor is a special blade because of its quality, price, and ease of use. While it’s more expensive than other beginner-friendly straight razors, the price is justified by the cutting precision, safety features, and durability.
It’s also one of the most unique-looking blades and has a good weight to it. The 24k gold-plated finish helps the blade stand out and its 3-ounce weight makes it resistant to vibrations that occur during shaving.
Things to Consider
The Black Widow Barber Straight Razor is a great product. In fact, it’s one of the best for professional use. That said, it’s not the most beginner-friendly straight razor around. While beginners can learn with this blade, the learning curve takes longer than similar straight razors. If you’re looking for a straight razor that’s easier to learn on, the Utopia Care Professional Barber Straight Edge Razor is a better choice. It has simpler cutting angles and even comes with 100 blades.
Who It’s For
If you’re looking for a premium straight razor to learn on, the Black Widow Barber Straight Razor is your best bet. While it’s harder to learn on than other razors, it has the impressive quality and makes professional cuts when used correctly. Therefore, it’s a great straight razor for people who want a blade that they can learn on and progress with. This makes it a solid razor for people who want a next-level beginner-friendly straight razor with the capacity to be a long-term investment.
Pros
- The 2.5-ounce weight prevents vibrations
- Great blade exposure
- Thumb and hook ridges for easy handling
- 2 locking pins
Cons
- Longer learning curve
- More expensive than other beginner-friendly blades
3. Budget Pick: Facon Classic Straight Edge Barber Razor
Why We Like It: We love Facón Professional Classic Straight Edge Barber Razor because it’s Budget-friendly and easy to learn.
Quick Facts
- Blades: 100
- Material: Stainless steel
- Weight: 1.8 ounces
The Facón Professional Classic Straight Edge Barber Razor is an affordable product that makes it hassle-free for anyone to try a straight razor. It comes with 100 Facón blades that allow the razor to perform over 200 shaves; this only boosts the blade’s value. While it’s a budget-friendly choice, that doesn’t mean it lacks quality. The stainless steel design and blades are durable, rust-resistant, and sharp. It also has a great weight distribution that makes it easy for beginners to handle. The Facón Professional Classic Straight Edge Barber Razor also has safety features that lock the blade to prevent injuries.
What Sets It Apart
The Facón Professional Classic Straight Edge Barber Razor is unique for more reasons than its low price. One of its greatest strengths is its flexibility.
With adjustable screws, you can customize the blade position for better shaving angles. This makes it easy to continue using the blade even when you’re no longer a beginner.
The Japanese stainless steel is another unique feature that’s typically only available in more expensive products.
Things to Consider
We like the Facón Professional Classic Straight Edge Barber Razor for its price and adjustability. Still, it has a few flaws. While it has great weight distribution, it lacks the weight to perform shaves with ease. This means you have to apply a bit of force to the blade. It also doesn’t have the most ergonomic design compared to similar razors and doesn’t have the best safety features. Unfortunately, this increases the risks of injury for beginners. The good news is that there are alternatives with better weight distribution like the Black Widow Barber Straight Razor.
Who It’s For
The Facón Professional Classic Straight Edge Barber Razor is a great choice for people who aren’t sure if straight razors are right for them. The low price makes it easy to pick up a Facón Professional Classic Straight Edge Barber Razor without worrying about it and it’s easy to learn on. Plus, you can use it over 200 times with everything it comes with. This gives you plenty of time to determine if straight razors are right for you.
Pros
- Low price
- Japanese stainless steel
- Great weight distribution
- Over 200 uses
Cons
- Lacks an ergonomic design
Factors to Consider When Shopping for Straight Razors
When shopping for straight razors you need to find a product that suits your needs. While one razor might work for someone else, that doesn’t always mean it will work for you. Therefore, it’s important to effectively narrow down your options. We’ll take you through a few factors to consider before selecting the best straight razor.
Blades
We’ll begin with the number of blades a product comes with. Most straight razors come with at least one blade. That said, when shopping for straight razors as a beginner you should choose a straight razor that comes with many blades. Some products come with 100 blades, which are plenty of blades for practice. Plus, the more blades a straight razor comes with the more value it has.
If you’re looking to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to blades, the Facón Professional Classic Straight Edge Barber Razor is your best option. It’s one of the most affordable straight razors around and comes with 100 Facón blades. These blades are good for over 200 uses, which is plenty of time for a beginner to get the hang of using a straight razor for shaving.
Material
Another factor to consider when shopping for straight razors is the material it’s made with. Some blades even include several materials in the design for extra protection of style enhancements. The material can also influence the weight and how well the straight razor performs. That said, most straight razors for beginners are made with stainless steel. Stainless steel is a great material because it’s rust-resistant and durable, which is perfect for blades that are exposed to water and shaving cream.
Still, some straight razor manufacturers take stainless steel to the next level. One example is how the Utopia Care Professional Barber Straight Edge Razor features 430-grade Japanese stainless steel. This type of stainless steel is more rust-resistant than other types of stainless steel. Plus, it can have sharper blades and perform smoother shaves.
Weight
When Shopping for a straight razor you want a product that has a good weight distribution. In most cases, heavier straight razors have better weight distribution and are easier to use without applying pressure. This is because the weight of the blade carries it down your face without the need for added force. For these reasons, heavier blades are great for beginners. Still, heavier blades can feel awkward at first so make sure you give yourself enough time to master the learning curve.
If you’re looking for a straight razor with great weight distribution, we have you covered. The Black Widow Barber Straight Razor weighs 2.5 ounces, which is almost twice as heavy as similar straight razors. Its heavier weight makes it easy to shave without needing to apply pressure.
How to Use a Straight Razor
If you’re a total beginner it’s important to know how to use a straight razor. There are several techniques you can use but we’ll stick to the simplest one to help you with your first shave. When using a straight razor, there are 5 simple steps you can follow.
1. Preparation
It all starts with preparation. When using a straight razor for the first time, you need to prepare your face. To prepare your face, it’s important to take a hot shower to open up your pores and make your facial hair softer. From there, we recommend applying pre-shave oil for skin conditioning purposes. If it’s your first time using a straight razor, we recommend using a transparent gel so you can see what you’re shaving.
2. Your Hold
Next, you need to learn how to hold the straight razor. The way you hold it is important because proper form prevents injuries and bad shaves. For most beginners, a 30-degree shaving angle is your best option. You can also pull the skin with your other hand to make things easier. While it’s tempting to apply pressure when shaving with a straight razor, you should only apply a small amount of pressure. This prevents the blade from cutting your face or fingers. If you have to apply a lot of pressure to make cuts, there’s a good chance your blade isn’t heavy enough.
3. Strokes
Making your first strokes with a straight razor is nerve-wracking. For this reason, you need to be careful and start your strokes properly. Shaving experts recommend starting with your sideburns and moving the blade in a downward slant. After every stroke, the blade needs to be rinsed in hot water and you should never jerk with the blade.
4. Chin and Upper Lip
Once you make your first strokes, it’s time to move towards the chin and upper lip. When shaving your chin with a straight razor, you should use the middle of the blade. Moreover, make sure your first strokes aren’t on a prominent part of your face; you can move on to them once you have a rhythm. For the upper lip, pull one side of your lip to flatten the skin –repeat this for both sides of your upper lip. Then, pull your nose up to shave the middle of your upper lip.
5. Lower Lip and Neck
Lastly, you should move down to your lower lip and upper neck. Adjust your mouth so that the skin under it is tight. The first strokes should be from the corner of your mouth and reach the middle of your chin. Then, use short upward strokes to remove the remaining hair. For the lower neck, keep your strokes short and follow the grain of your neck hair.
With these simple steps and techniques, you’ll make the most of your first Straight razor experience.
Straight Razors for Beginners FAQ
What’s a Good First Straight Razor?
The Utopia Care Professional Barber Straight Edge Razor is one of our favorite products for beginners. This straight razor comes with 100 high-quality blades and several safety features to prevent injuries. Plus, it’s affordable, durable, and easy to use.
Is a Straight Razor Easy to Use?
Straight razors are easy to use. That said, it takes a lot of practice to get better at using one. Using a straight razor the first time can feel intense and even frightening but after several shaves, it becomes easier. Plus, as long as you start with the best beginner-friendly straight razors you shouldn’t have any problems.
Do Straight Razors Give Better Shaves?
Yes, straight razors typically give a better shave. That said, the shave isn’t closer than a normal razor –this is a common misconception. Instead, straight razors provide a smoother shave that lasts longer and preserves skin health. For this reason, many people swear by the clean and smooth shaves that straight razors provide.
How Do You Know If a Straight Razor is Sharp Enough?
If you’re unsure about how sharp your straight razor is we recommend performing a simple hair test. Pluck a strand of hair or hold a strand of hair in place. Simply tap the hair with the blade (don’t use a lot of force at all) and see if the hair snaps. If the hair snaps with minimal pressure, the blade on your straight razor is sharp enough.
What Angle is the Best Angle for Shaving With a Straight Razor?
The best angle for shaving with a straight razor is typically 30 degrees (when against the cheek). Many experts recommend this angle because it provides a balance between a smooth shave and an aggressive shave. On the other hand, many barbers may use different angles that suit the needs of a specific customer. Therefore, we recommend starting with a 30° angle and working from there.
Feel the Power of the Perfect Shave!
Straight razors can provide a clean and smooth shave that’s second-to-none. While traditional razors and electric razors have come a long way, the simple and efficient design of the straight razor continues to be a favorite for professional barbers.
While straight razors are intimidating to use for the first time, you have to start somewhere. The best straight razors for beginners that we listed above are all great options to start with. That said, make sure you choose a straight razor that suits your unique needs; maybe even try a few until you find one you prefer.
