An Ecological Shave . . . and So Cheap!
Here's a charming article I just stumbled across in the online archives of Mother Earth News (iconic homesteading and back-to-nature magazine - a staple of the eco-hippie scene).
How to Use a Straight Razor
The author recommends straight razor shaving as an ecological alternative to electric razors (they "needlessly support the power companies") and disposable blades (wasteful). It covers a lot of the basic points we see in many intro-to-straight-razor type articles, including hunting up old razors in antique shops, and the importance of getting a good hone and strop.
I was a little surprised he never mentioned eBay, but I was especially taken aback when he firmly advised never to pay more than $2.50 for a used razor, and "if that's too steep, scrounge around". He does warn that a good razor hone could be costly: "expect to lay out from $2.50 to $10.00", but advises that you can save money by buying an old antique-store strop for one dollar and moisturizing it with bar soap. I had to stop and go back and check the date on the article: I have to say I was surprised to see how much of the common wisdom was in circulation, and how timely today's ecological considerations already were . . . 38 years ago, in March of 1972! (I guess that explains why he wasn't on eBay, but I wish I could still find that antique store he was shopping at!)
He adds some advice I haven't seen here: (1) you might be able to get a barber to hone your razor for you as a favor, but first you'll have to convince him you aren't planning to use it for a murder, and (2) don't strop your razor on your hiking boots, because it really doesn't work as well!
A fun read. Plus ce change . . .