Using a Straight Razor for Clean Beard Lines

Whether you chose the beard life or the beard life chose you, we will always recommend maintaining that beard properly. With the right products and maintenance, that beard can rock some pretty sweet benefits. Research shows that men with beards are more reliable, more attractive, and healthier. I mean, who can argue with science? (Erm, maybe don’t answer that.) Beards can also make you look more mature and hide facial flaws like acne scars or pigment unevenness. 

So creating sharp beard lines and keeping your face forest clean and trimmed is important. And one of the best tools to achieve that look is a straight razor. People might recommend scissors, beard trimmers, and clippers for their ease of use, but we argue the best results come from a straight razor.

Why Use a Straight Razor for Clean Beard Lines

Once you learn to wield this trusted straight razor tool, you can make all your beard-style dreams come true (as long as your follicles cooperate). Instead of visiting a professional, you can create your own styles. Or perhaps you can get the style down with a barber and then maintain it on your own.

Also, you can keep your blade sharp and shaped with stropping and honing, so that you are always ready.  

The blade of your straight razor makes clean, straight, sharp lines that you just can’t get with a scissors or beard trimmer. Barbers and hair stylists know the benefits of a sharp straight razor for all sorts of styles - from beards to heads.

The long blade makes trimming efficient and keeps your lines straight. Once you get your straight razor technique down you can see how well it keeps your lines tip top.

How to Use a Straight Razor for Clean Beard Lines

Know how you want your beard to look. Do you want a full look, carefully shaped patches, a goatee? Once you know what you are going for, you can begin to eliminate hair. If you are nervous about this step, you might consider visiting a barber for the initial style, then you can continue to maintain it using the steps below.

Straight razors require a bit of maintenance to keep them shave ready. Make sure to strop your blade before your shave. This helps to align the edge and keep it in cutting shape. 

In addition to preparing your blade, you also want to prep your skin and whiskers. A hot shower or hot towel applied before your shaving cream or soap, will help to soften the hairs and moisturize the skin so it is more forgiving of the blade. Whip up a protective lather and apply it to the areas you will be shaving. 

Start with shaving your neck and clean up all the areas from your Adam’s apple and below. 

• Shape the corners 

Using your earlobes as a guide, create the line that will define the edges of your beard from ear to jaw and then the horizontal line from jaw to chin. A sharp corner will create a chiseled look but a more rounded corner will look less macho. 

Now that the edge is defined, shave anymore neck areas that still need to be cleaned up. This will give a clean, defined, put-together look instead of letting the beard and neck hair grow wid and unkempt.

Move up your face and trim the hair that grows on your cheekbones. This line can be a softer, oval shape or a more defined diagonal reaching from your sideburn to your mustache. 

If needed for the look you are trying to achieve, trim around your mouth, the philtrum, and the chin. 

Lastly, determine the length of your stubble. Now that the lines are established with your straight razor, a beard trimmer can come in handy for beard length. It allows you to determine the length of your beard from sexy stubble to rugged fullness. If you don’t have a trimmer and scissors can work as well to trim your beard to an appropriate length.

Don’t neglect aftershave care for your beard. You can apply an aftershave splash or balm to your skin as well as a balm or oil for that beard. It will help to promote healthy growth and softness.

Make sure to care for your straight razor as well. Rinse it and dry it well. If you have a stand, it is always wise to leave it open to dry - just make sure it is safe from accidental knocks which could injure others or the razor.

Do you use a straight razor for your beard lines? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.