My most expensive straight razor is a $180 Dovo. It's the first one I got. I figured when I started that I would go for quality.

Then I started buying old razors. For the last few weeks I've been shaving with an old 7-day set of Spauldings. Today I decided to do an evening shave, and I didn't want to use Saturday two times in the same day, so I reached for the Dovo I hadn't used in a while.

I hadn't any complaints about the shaves from the Dovo before, but tonight I realised that it was pulling significantly more than the Spauldings I've been useing. Perhaps it's time to take the Dovo to a hone.

The interesting thing is that the ivory handled Spauldings came in at $36 each. $250 for the old set. They were significantly less expensive than the Dovo, but the quality is equal or better. I know there are a lot of old $10 blades out there too that will equal or exceed the Dovo. We are lucky to live in such a time, when all of these formerly valued old blades are on the market at a pittance.

Sometimes I feel like I should go out and rescue them all. I could spend my whole income on fine old razors from E-bay at $10 each, any one of which could last me for a lifetime. I have a drawerful of oldies with character already, just waiting for the day I have a little free time to bring them back to life and shaving condition.

I don't really have any desire to sell razors, and I have more than I'll need for the rest of my life. One fun thing I've found to do is to teach a teenager how to shave with a straight, and then give him a restored oldie.

I got my brother-in-law to shave with a straight but it turned into a bloody mess. He accepted the soap and brush I gave him but decided he would pass on the straight.