I agree that Joe the soldier deserves this gift so much more than me.
With that said, let me see how convincing I can be. I first got interested in wet shaving as a result of being upset with the cost of cartridge razors. This was a few years ago. I signed up with badgerandblade.com (Badger and Blade) and was active on their forums for a while. I eventually bought a Merkur barber pole, and then my uncle gave me a collection of razors that he in turn was given by the widow of his friend of many years. That collection included old Gillette razors and one or two really old straight razors. One of the straights looked as if the blade was badly pitted. The second one looked possibly okay but in need of honing. I didn't know what to do with them, but the Gillette razors looked interesting. I tried some Astra brand blades with them, then moved on the Feather blades.
I decided I had to take the plunge and buy a shave-ready straight razor. I bought it from a gentleman on the Badger and Blade forums. I bought a strop, too. To this day it hangs in its original wrapping from a hook in the living room. I tried to shave one time with my new straight razor. I was terrified by the sight of the blade in my fingers and mirror. I was so afraid of cutting myself. I did seem to do one side of my face, then, fearfully, I gave up and finished with the Merkur. That was the only time I used the razor.
I shaved for a while with the Merkur and a new Gillette razor which I acquired either through Badger and Blade, or on Ebay. I think that one is date coded 1954. I also had two scuttles made for me. I played with different razors, all of them double edged. I was sure about two things by then: I liked the Trumper and Harris shave creams, and I like Feather blades. I was getting in to the swing of things.
I became ever busier in my other life, running a sideline business in fixing computers (meaning, 99.95% of the time, fixing software issues my customers have.) I stopped shaving after a while, and grew a beard. Then one day someone in the office made a remark about how I would look younger if I shaved and it got to me. I was feeling particularly old that day. After another few weeks of putting it off, I went to the local Hair Cuttery and asked the young lady to get the beard off me and cut it down as close to the skin as possible, so that I could shave it off.
I rediscovered my brush (an Edwin Jagger cheapie), my scuttle (the one that survived a workman who had a tough day), and my double edge razors. I cleaned the razors with Scrubbing Bubbles, put them in Barbicide, discovered my Geo W Trumper Limes (in its tube) seemed to be still good, so I lathered my face and very slowly and carefully shaved. Success, not even a small nick! My hands seemed to "remember" what to do and my brain ordered my hands not to rush.
Always, that straight razor reposing in the closet has haunted me. But the workman had dropped it. Dare I try again with it?
Then I found straightrazorplace.com just today and read the Beginner's advice. On YouTube I found the 31 minute video of Lynn showing how to get started with a straight razor. This is a wonderful way to not do any serious work at all for an entire Saturday afternoon and evening.
I have come to a decision. I will send my straight razor off for honing. Maybe also repair if it needs that. I will at least have an assurance that it is shave ready. And I will take the advice of doing a little of my face every day with a straight, and working to learn the skills I need for such a shave.
So that is how things are with me now.
Bob