For a number of years I used a straight-edge given me by my barber when I was sixteen. It required a lot of maintenance and was not allowed in some places - for instance in college dorms. Along the way I got a free razor in a promotion pack with some gel-type shave cream. My biggest interest is in not over-using the planet so the shave cream was the only I ever owned. I have never bought a can of shaving cream. I have a brush and a mug. I throw in bar soap that gets too small to use. Once in a while I get a Colgate shaving soap or someone gives me a specialty wooden bowl-type shaving soap.

I decided to see who long a blade lasts rather than change them frequently. I decided a year is about as long as I can go. I change my blade annually. At this time I am using an old double-edge razor found on ebay. It works just fine.