I thought I could get by without one but after using it tonight I will definitely be getting one posthaste. What a PITA. Almost dropped it on my 12k. Probably would have cried. And my wife knocked my Robeson off of the counter and into the dogs water dish. Thank goodness in was closed. I wouldn't normally have been able too afford these but I took some metal scrap I had been saving to the scrapyard/recycle center. Being a plumber sometimes has its perks. Also I told SWIMBO how much it was going to cost each time I needed my razors touched up. That helped.