Some guys prefer to shave with a straight razor. They say it works better for them or makes them feel more like a man. But are there really advantages to straight razor shaving?

Actually, there are several, and bearded men may get the most benefit. If that doesn’t make sense to you or if you want to know what the advantages are for guys of all kinds, keep reading. This is a topic that some guys feel really strongly about — and others don’t seem to understand at all.

At first, shaving with a straight razor can seem dangerous. And it can be if done incorrectly. After all, that unprotected razor blade is sharp enough to cut your throat or your wrists — or someone else’s. It’s not the right choice for the clumsy, the suicidal or the homicidal.

But there are serious advantage to straight razor shaving as compared to shaving with one of those electric things or a so-called safety razor. Here are a few:

You get a better shave. You may not have to shave every day if you shave with a straight razor because the cut is closer and more accurate for the most experienced guys. When you shave with a straight razor, you’re getting the closest possible shave. If that’s important to you, it’s the only way to go.

You can eliminate bumps and rashes. If you get razor burn, rashes or bumps, it’s often from clogged pores caused by dead skin cells that collect around improperly cut hairs. Straight razors help in two ways: they cut hairs smoothly and completely — and they exfoliate the dead skin from your face more effectively. Cleaner cuts and less dead skin left on your face means fewer bumps, less irritation and a better looking and feeling face.

You save money in the long run. Although the best straight razor shaving kit is an investment in the beginning, you won’t be buying and throwing away razors anymore. Modern multi-blade razors are considered by many guys to be inferior to single blades anyway, and they certainly don’t come cheaply. An open razor can be honed and maintained for years of use.

You get some “real guy” satisfaction. It’s true. There’s real satisfaction that comes from using a straight razor. There’s a connection to the past, a sense of primal energy and some genuine excitement. It’s the same thing that some men get from smoking a pipe, carving a chunk of wood into something great or fishing off the shore of their hometown lake. It’s just a guy thing. You either feel it or you don’t.

Straight Razors For Bearded Men

Perhaps one of the groups that can benefit most from straight razors are bearded men. If you have a wild beard that you don’t trim or shape, you don’t need one of these or any other kind of tool. But if you like clean lines, there are only a couple of ways to get them: dry shaving or a straight razor.

Dry shaving is using some kind of trimmer to carefully shave around the outside lines of your beard to get the cleanest possible cut. With the right trimmer, this works well. But if you want to do this kind of beard outlining with a razor, you really need a straight razor. That’s because you can’t get a clean line with a multi-blade cutter.

Have to every tried to get straight sideburns with a safety razor that bows in the middle or one of those modern ones that lays down at an angle? It’s impossible. But with an open razor, clean lines are simple once you get the hang of it. And so is cutting an individual hair to make things absolutely perfect. You just can’t do that with anything else.

So are there real advantages you straight razor shaving? Absolutely. If you’re happy with the way you shave and the way you trim your facial hair now, that’s fine. Maybe you don’t need a straight razor. But if you want to shave the way the men who came before you did, you need to give this way a try. It’s the old way of shaving that’s new again.