In my lurking I've noticed several posts from other newbies whose initial posts are along the lines of, "What straight razor should I buy?" While I've learned a little from the answers to those posts the overwhelming response seems to be that the questions itself is far too vague to be effectively answered. That lesson learned I'm going to begin posing more specific questions, in this case regarding points.

In several posts I've seen the recommendation that those of us that are just learning the art of shaving with a straight razor start with a round point. I can understand and appreciate that advice but I'm going to question it, mostly for my own education. The square point razors are obviously built for precision, allowing the shaver to trim tight beard lines. Because of this the aptly named spike seems to be a rather large risk in the hands of the unwary as that sharp point can lacerate ears, gouge skin and generally generate a lot of pink foam. The round points appear to be a concession to safety at the expense of precision, a risk in its own right. I would think that this lack of precision can cause risk (admittedly lower than that of the spike) simply because the exact position of the cutting edge is less apparent.

In my specific case I've been shaving with cartridges my entire shaving life so there is a rather steep learning curve ahead. The issue is that I have maintained either a beard or, less commonly, a Van Dyke for over twenty years and see some benefit to the added precision of the square point, particularly when the round point isn't without some risk of its own.

So now I turn it over to the community to get your thoughts, let you shoot holes in my reasoning and potentially keep me from making a decision I'm likely to regret!