I started because I was getting tired of buying foils for my electric. They kept getting more and more costly. I had an old straight that my wife put in the sewing kit and she used it for a while in there. I breadknifed it and got it "shaving sharp". Used it for a while and went on to other razors I acquired. The original has an edge that looks like Swiss cheese under 100X Magniication. I have been sharpening knives for years that would roll hair off your arm so I thought why couldn't I sharpen/hone/strop a razor as well. Read a lot, shaved a lot and have enjoyed every minute of it. Been well over a year now.