A Straight Razor Will Give You the Best Shave of Your Life. Here Are 6 Great Options to Buy.

Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links. Here’s how we test products and why you should trust us.amazonProsMade fully from rust-resistant stainless steelBlades snap on and off easilyIncludes 5 spare double-edged bladesConsNot as beginner friendly shaving solutionFrankly, most of these straight razors aren’t even technically straight razors. They are shavettes; hybrids with disposable blades so you don’t have to worry about honing and sharpening (and all the hazards that come with failing to do so). You still get the straight razor vibe, but it’s safer and more convenient. For a starter shavette, you can pick up the Parker SRX straight edge. It's compatible universally with any double edge blades, so you won’t ever run out.Take care of this stainless steel beauty and it will retain that sheen for years without a sign of rust. This all makes it a great, affordable, pick for intermediate shavers who prioritize performance. For a more gateway razor, I’d pick the Dovo shavetteProsDouble-edged bladesChic rosewood handleBlades snap easily on and offConsNot as easy to clean as pure stainless steelFundamentally, this is the same thing as the previous Parker razor. It’s a shavette that uses double-edge disposable blades, so the experience of using it, and accompanying learning curve are the exact same. The difference is the wood handle. It looks great, but if you get anything other than shaving cream on there, it’s certainly not going to be as easy to clean as stainless steel. I still wouldn’t recommend a novice pick this up, but that’s what the safety razor is for.Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowProsA super affordable starting pointComes with 15 Astra bladesConsNot the highest quality, so more risk of nicks and cutsVirtually no aesthetic valueIf you are genuinely just curious about this whole thing, you don't need to drop even $30 on something you may use once and then put down forever. You can pick up a Classic Samurai razor from Amazon for less than 15 bucks. It's not the best ever, and you won't be showing off to your friends, but it's a way to get your feet wet. Plus it comes with enough extra (safety-razor-compatible) blades that if you do find the knack for straight razor shaving, you can upgrade to a Parker or Dovo and have plenty of blades to use.ProsA straight handle for optimal comfort and controlClean lookEasy and safe to remove bladesConsOnly uses Feather bladesNot as compact as holding bladesThe straight handle is your less flexible, slightly sturdier alternative to your folding shavette. This Feather razor is a Japanese-made with a straight grip meant to give more fine tuning and control to the average shaver. I only wish that, like Parker shavettes, it was compatible with all double-blade replacements—not just the Feather branded ones.Whether straight handles are actually easier to control and safer than folding ones is up for debate. Barbers have their preferences and if you are looking to start shaving with a straight razor at home, so will you. If you've tried the folding shavettes and can't quite get a handle (sorry for the pun) on them, this one is worth a shot.Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowProsThe look of the thingThe cleanest shave from any style of razor if you can master itConsLow supply and high demand might mean you wait a while for your orderRequires constant upkeepMajor learning curveAs we exit the shavette category, I turn once again to Dovo. If you want a razor that looks and feels as traditional as it gets while still being brand new, you need a Dovo.This isn't for beginners or really even intermediate shavers. If anything, it's more of a novelty. If you want to use it for real, you should probably be a real barber. If you have the skills (and the disposable income), this will be something fun to whip out for your favorite clients in need of the cleanest shave of their life.ProsGeniune vintageGuaranteed never usedGerman carbon steel bladeConsNeeds sharpening and honing for regular useMore of a novelty or hobby than a daily use itemThere's something uniquely satisfying about buying vintage. These come from the era when these were the only razors men used to shave. In a way, that's how they know they are quality. Just old-fashioned stainless steel blades and a design that modern "retro" can't come close to replicating.You can buy these (one per package despite the website's imagery) sealed or opened and cleaned Friedrich Schlemper straight razors for less than the price of a Dovo. These Sistrum razors are German-made carbon steel, likely dating back to sometime between the 1950s and the 1970s.Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowWhat We're Looking ForClassic Straight Razor: Traditionally, a straight razor has one steel (typically stainless or carbon) blade. In the old days, before the safety and cartridge razors we know and love, this was the only option. Barbers had to hone and sharpen their blades using a leather strap—and if you go classic this is still a requirement. This makes a straight razor an investment that can go south if you don't take care of it properly. Serious professionals only—it's not easy to learn how to shave safely with one of these. There's a reason that as a society, we don't use them anymore.Shavettes: This modern hybrid of the safety razor and straight razor is what I recommend over the classic style. They are much more affordable, for starters, and the replaceable blades are much safer, especially for at-home experimentation. If you are a casual looking into straight razors, I cannot stress enough to start and end with a shavette.Folding vs Straight Handle: In terms of shavettes, it all comes down to preference. A straight handle can be preferable to a lighter, airy folding blade handle due to better ergonomics and greater control. But others find a folding handle to allow them better control and stability. It's all about whichever you feel allows you more precision while leading to fewer errors. Why Trust Esquire?Esquire has been helping men look (and be) at their best since the heyday of the straight razor. We lived through it. If 90 years of institutional knowledge isn’t going to convince you, nothing will.