The best straight razor kit is as good as the quality of its content, not quantity. For what’s the use of a kit with a miserable straight razor or items that do not work properly, right?
Unfortunately...
There’s a ton of low-quality straight razor kits online!
On a dire rescue mission, we compiled a list of only the best straight razor shaving kit for men who've decided to make the leap.
Can't wait? Our top pick is the Naked Armor Straight Razor Kit.
Page Contents
Top 5 Straight Razor Kits Review
1. Naked Armor Straight Razor Kit - Best Overall
The Naked Armor is the best straight razor shaving kit for men. It's not all about the product itself but how it's also promoted. Naked Armor offers a full customer experience introducing you to helpful videos and a helpful community.
More importantly, the scale strikes a balance with the blade for a steady shave.
The blade is made of genuine Japanese stainless steel that lasts long. Well, only under proper maintenance. It rusts if you don't clean it properly after use.
Moreso, this blade is relatively wide and has a jimp, making it one of the best straight razor kits for beginners.
It has a surprisingly good leather strop, sharpening paste, badger-hair brush, leather case for the blade, and shaving soap. That's as good as it gets with a straight razor kit.
The only gripe with this kit is that a few customers have received a disappointingly different blade from what they ordered. For instance, The brand name could be engraved on the shank instead of the face.
But it gets even better. Naked Armor offers a lifetime warranty on the kit. It even includes a free sharpening service or exchange for their other products if you don't like the kit.
Pros
- Extra-wide blade for safer shaves
- Stable algum wood handle
- The perfect gift for men
- Exclusive lifetime warranty
- Full kit with a strop, soap, brush, shave cream, and sharpening paste
- Great deal for the price
Cons
- Smelly shave soap
- Occasional quality control issues
Takeaway
The Naked Armor box is a complete, gift-worthy, and reasonably priced straight razor kit with impressive quality.
2. The Shave Network Gold Dollar Kit - Most Affordable
The Shave Network ten-piece straight razor kit is easily the only worthy cheap ensemble online. But I must warn you. You get what you pay for, so I'll only recommend it as a starter kit.
One item in this kit with outstanding quality- for its price - is the Gold Dollar blade for obvious reasons. It's built somewhat cheaply but fully functional, especially for a beginner.
You'd enjoy a good balance while shaving with its plastic scale, which is also aesthetically pleasing.
As you'd expect, the blade's design wears off quickly, and at a point, it won't hold an edge for long anymore.
Even the Shave Network agrees that the logo is "easily removed." Still, it would give you the shave quality of a Dovo straight razor. That's fine by me.
Nonetheless, you'll be pleased with the shave soap, pre-shave, and aftershave. The soap lathers well and smells refreshing.
However, if you've used a badger-hair quality shave brush, you won't like the one included in this kit. But it's okay, for starters.
Finally, it's an impressive straight blade lineup for its price. Shave Network even boasts you won't find a more affordable deal, which is astonishingly true.
Pros
- Best straight razor kit you can get for its price
- Complete kit with additional pre-shave and aftershave
- Soap and brush lather up well
- Aesthetically pleasing blade
Cons
- The blade might not hold a sharp edge for long after a while
Takeaway
Look forward to starting the art of shaving with a straight razor but fear making a huge investment early? The Shave Network straight razor kit is practically the cheapest you can go.
3. Anbbas 7-in-1 Shaving Set - Best Barber Kit (Shavette)
The Anbbas 7-in-1 Shaving Set is not just any shaving set but a shavette set. It's also an affordable way for barbers and DIYers to maintain hygiene while shaving with a blade — with little or no maintenance like regular straight blades.
You get ten free disposable blades to start up with the shavette right out of the box. A clamp opens and closes with a screw at its shoulder so you can load the blades easily.
What's of even more exceptional quality is the badger-hair shaving brush. It lathers the bar soap up well and doesn't shed one bit. The stainless steel lathering mug and brush holder also serve some convenience.
No doubt, the shave soap will leave you with a smooth face after the shave. But if you've smelled bad shave cream before, you're in for another treat.
Again, this is only assuming you're a barber and don't want to purge your customers.
On that note, I'll say it will be a worthy straight razor kit for a barber or anyone who knows their way around a blade.
As you probably know, shavettes are cheaper than straight blades but put even an intermediate user at risk of razor burn.
Pros
- No need to strop before/after every use
- Top-quality accessories
- Impressive handcrafted badger-hair shave brush
- Remarkable fine wood scale shavette
Cons
- Loading razors can be technical at first
Takeaway
The Anbbas 7-in-1 Shaving Set is the best barber straight razor kit. It has a functional shavette with free blades, foam, mug, and brush to lather to get to work immediately. And even a brush holder to keep your workspace tidy.
4. Colonel Ichabod Conk Model 2316 - Most Accessories
The Colonel Conk setup is a more sophisticated kit than the Naked Armor set. It may not have the strong branding of its cheaper counterpart, but its items are top-of-the-line.
First...
Second, you'd appreciate the fact that Colonel Ichabod Conk gives you all you need to shave in one kit. From shave cream and brush to pre-shave oil and aftershave lotion. You even get a styptic pencil to stop nicks and cuts.
Moreso, it has one of the best strops you'll see in any kit, so you can work with the blade right away. It's a leather strop with linen on the reverse side. Not that it's a dealbreaker, but the acrylic stand for brush and razor is not of the best quality.
Overall, Colonel Conk straight razor kit has the most number of accessories in this review. An enthusiast would appreciate their inclusion, but a beginner would love them right off the bat.
Pros
- Great value for its price
- Contains eight useful accessories
- Supreme quality blade made by Dovo
Cons
- Double the price of our top pick
- Items in the except for the blade, are decent at best
Takeaway
Colonel Conk Model 2316 is arguably the best straight razor kit for beginners and intermediates who'd love to see plenty of accessories in their package.
5. Dovo Luxury Shave Set - Best For Enthusiasts
The Dovo Luxury Shave Set is an affordable kit from the German blade-making giants. Most folks love to use a product from one of the "trusted" and "reputable" brands, even if it's one of their cheaper lines.
That’s mainly because it contains the Dovo Inox Olive-Wood straight blade, which is a favorite among professional barbers and dudes into wet shaving.
The olivewood scale balances well with the blade and has an appealing finish. As with all wooden handles, you must clean it properly when it comes in contact with water. Fortunately, Dovo also includes a storage case for the blade.
Unlike the rest of the kits in this review, all the accessories are also top-notch. The leather strop, for instance, is of supreme quality to many you'd find online, even if you were purchasing separately.
Also, the brush stand is made of stainless steel, unlike the acrylic material used in most straight razor kits. Of course, you get to use it with it, then shave soap and mug to prepare lather.
Pros
- Deluxe quality set
- Best leather strop in any straight razor kit online
- Shave ready cut-throat blade
Cons
- Expensive
Takeaway
If you want to go all out with your first straight-edge razor kit, Dovo Luxury Shaving Set is the way to go. It's quite expensive, but the entire kit is well worth it.
How to Choose The Best Straight Razor Kit For Men
Price
Frankly, good straight blades don't come cheap, let alone a kit. But in hindsight, they could last you a lifetime with proper honing and periodic sharpening. It's more of a long-term investment.
In comparison, a quality handmade blade alone could cost that much or more.
Blade Sharpening Is Crucial
First, straight razors demand regular honing with a strop like their life depends on it. The strop is a strip of leather or canvas material used before or after every shave. It keeps the blade free of inconsistencies or having a jagged edge that will mess up a shave.
If it's not included in the package, find one online quickly before you start using the blade.
On the other hand, to sharpen a straight blade, you'll need to use a whetstone once or twice a year. Even the best straight edge shaving kit won't have this item.
So you either get one for home use or hire a razor sharpening service. It's affordable, and you only have to do it twice or thrice a year.
Tip: Find a 3" strop online like this extra wide one from G.B.S to enjoy a hassle-free daily ritual.
Here’s an explanatory video of how to strop a straight razor with leather:
Shavette Or Straight Blade
Another crucial factor to note when shopping for the best straight edge razor kit is that a shavette is not the same as a straight razor.
True, a shavette is cheaper and low-maintenance. But the light weight of a razor blade could cause vibrations while shaving that's more likely to lead to razor burn or cuts if you aren't skilled with blades. Plus, you still have to change blades after every shave.
Accessories, Most of All
Quality straight razors are important, but so are the rest of the items in the kit. The number of accessories included in the kit would vary among brands.
The typical straight edge razor kit contains two or all of these accessories:
- Stropping leather
- Shaving brush
- Shaving cream/soap/lotion
- Pre-shave and aftershave
Some brands also give a mixing bowl, shave stand, or more accessories. You may need to get a better shaving brush and soap/lotion/cream than those included in most kits if it matters to you.
Why Shaving Soaps And Brushes Matter
If you see a dude mixing up shave cream with a fancy little brush inside a bowl, it's not for show.
A decent shave cream or soap preps your face and beards for a smooth shave. The lather lets a straight blade, or any blade for that matter, glide smoothly over your beards to give you a sweet-smelling and rash-free shave.
Here's where the shaving brush comes in:
While there's no harm in applying shave cream with your hands, your hairs remain flat. What then happens is that they can get pulled on by the blade, which can cause ingrown hairs. But a shave brush - when used properly - pulls hair away from your face for a smooth shave.
FAQs About The Best Straight Blade Shaving Kit
Can a Beginner Easily Learn Shaving with a Straight Razor kit?
Yes. Anyone can learn to shave with a straight razor but it demands a learning curve. Sure, you may, and probably would get nicked at first, but it gets better. The best beginner straight razor with a stropping leather and shave cream is enough to learn the art. You don't need to start out with a shavette if you don't want to.
Why do I Need a Straight Blade Shaving kit?
The items in a straight blade shaving kit ensure you have safer, smoother, and more effective shaves with your shave blade. A strop aligns the blade after every shave, while the best straight razor shaving cream lets it glide smoothly. Moreso, a shave brush pulls hair away from your face so you can get a clean cut without ingrown hairs.
Is a Strop Included in Every Straight Razor kit?
Not every straight razor kit would come with a strop, while some only include a cheap strop you're better off without.
How to Sharpen my Straight Razor with a Strop?
Sharpening a straight razor with a strop is only a flicker of your wrists and takes less than a minute.
These are the steps to "sharpen" a straight razor with a 3" strop:
- Hang the strop to an immovable object
- Pull the strop tight with one hand (preferably your off-hand)
- Hold the razor in your stronger hand at the shank
- Rest the razor at the top of the strop with its edge facing away from you
- Draw the blade downwards till you reach the lower end of the strop
- Turn the blade till the edge is now facing you and glide it upwards
Repeat this process in faster movements 10-20 times, and your straight razor should be ready for a shave.
Wrapping Up
As you should know by now, the best straight razor kit isn’t so hard to find so long as you’ve got a budget and know the level of quality you find. This way, you don’t get disappointed with your purchase.
Which straight razor kit was your preferred pick from the review?
Without a doubt, the Naked Armor Kit takes the crown for us. It has all you need to get started and a reasonable price given its quality.
If you want a kit with a superior quality razor, the Dovo Luxury Shaving Set with Inox-Olivewood blade is your best bet. But it comes at a price.
