It isn't like it used to be
My Girlfriends grandfather, who grew up in Kazakhstan, though is German, was telling us last night about his first straight razor. Get this...
The local smithy made it, the same guy who made spades, picks and horseshoes...
They used old bearing racers as the supply for the metal, because it was ultra hard steel
It lasted 10 years being stropped "a couple of times" and once every 3 months or so it was passed over the green paste he had on the reverse of his strop - I am guessing Cr2O3 - before needing resharpened.
I was listening open jawed, I just didnt know what to make of it. Was it really like this, or was there some "in my day" bravado about it???
Pretty amazing story nonetheless.
Si