Like so many American teenagers, I received a free Gillete razor in the mail on my 18th birthday. "How generous of them! Someone remembered my birthday!" Never one to refuse a gift, I happily used the Mach 3 razor for my minimal shaving needs. At that age, my facial hairs were thin and I shaved infrequently, so I had no problem using a single razor cartridge for months at a time. Shaving seemed cheap and easy.

As I grew older, my facial hair grew thick and coarse, and my razors became dull in much less time. I began to pay more attention to the price and my usage of razors, especially when budgeting money in college. My desire to replace blades more frequently was tempered by the rising cost of replacement cartridges. At a cost of over $2 each, tossing a cartridge was done only when necessary (once skin irritation was likely). Thrift demanded a few painful shaves.

Fortunately for my skin, I began reading about straight edge shaving in early 2008. In my initial excitement, I bought an antique JA Henckels razor off ebay for $5 from a estate sale. I quickly figured out that properly restoring the blade would require much more skill than I currently possessed. Still, I got myself several different grits of sandpaper, and I cleaned the blade to my satisfaction. I bought myself a Colonel Conk hone and attempted to sharpen the blade. While I got it noticeably more sharp, it was still not sharp enough to pass the most basic shaving blade tests. Luckily, the step-dad of a friend sharpens medical instruments for a living. He buffed the steel and sharpened the blade to a fine point. Still, it seemed to lack the fine hone needed to reliably shave facial hair. Instead of simply buying a newer straight edge, I instead gave up on the hobby, and kept using my Mach 3. Perhaps old school shaving was not for me.

And this might have been the end of the story. But I continued to be irked by the overpriced replacement blades. I knew plastic and thin strips of steel shouldn't cost $2 each. So while making out my 2008 Christmas list, I searched Amazon for "razor blades". One of the first results was a 100-pack of Sharp double edge razors for less than $20. Once again, I was intrigued. Perhaps these doubled-edged shavers were the answer. So the 100 pack of blades and a Merkur Classic Safety Razor was added to the Xmas list. In hindsight, I must say that this was an excellent decision.

I've been using my double-edged Merkur for three months now, and I couldn't be happier. My shaves are closer than before, free from irritation, and much more affordable! Using this razor is the difference between using a tool and a toy. Due to their sharpness, these razors force you to slow down and pay greater attention to your shaving. This is a good thing. A proper shave should never result in bumps or razor burn. If you're going to shave, show your skin some respect. Go sharp or stay bearded!