I have only two straights and the reason why I have two not one is simple, got the one and realized that I really preferred stainless steel rather than the carbon steel that I had. Needless to say the second is a stainless, and I do not intend to get anymore for at least ten years when my four year old is old enough to start doing the job himself. I would image the only thing that I would purchase now would be a strop, don't have one as yet as I am leaving that to the future once I can learn to shave with the straight first - one step at a time.