Straight razors are very cool and a bit intimidating, but for me personally the maintenance makes it a non-starter.

Being maintainable is a positive from my point of view. Rather than having to replace blades, I can just sharpen it using very little in the way of consumables (a 50g jar of paste costs $10 and will last years).

Of course, it has a cost in time, but the straight razor itself can be faster than other razors because the blade is longer and it doesn't clog. I'm not sure if it's a net win, but I'm sure it's close.

You only need to sharpen straight razors once every 3 to 6 months. You don't necessarily need your own stone. I pay a friend to do it for a few bucks. Takes him 5-10mins. The money he invest on his wetstones has been paid back at this point.

To me straight razors represent community, whereas cartridge/disposables represent isolation, loneliness and obviously disposability. The people who are too afraid to use a straight razor, have to go to a barber to experience it. That's fantastic as it creates more social elements to this routine aspect of life.

What paste are you using?

Venev 0.5 micron.

I 100% agree. My daily routine does not need nicks, extra concentration or time tacked onto the end. Just need a quick clean shave and out the door.

Totally don’t understand the downvotes? Anyway, how did you learn to use one? I understand they’re supposed to be kept sharp, I’m absent-minded, and I’m afraid I’d damage the blade while trying to sharpen it.

A bit of reading online. A bit of trial and error. Only one error leading to a deep cut, and I think there was wine and jet lag involved.

With a hollow-ground razor, the most popular style, the blade is held flat against the strop or hone and the width of the spine holds the edge at the proper angle. This makes serious mis-sharpening less likely. It probably does help to have some knife sharpening experience though.

My method using a bench strop and diamond compound is not traditional, but I've found that as long as there's no actual damage to the edge, it always restores proper sharpness while more traditional methods with a hanging strop require sharpening on a stone every few months.

My first deep cut was the last time I ever used a straight razor. I’m not interested in learning curves that leave scars on my face.

I use a oneblade now, and ignore what it costs. It’s fast, convenient, safe, and has never once cut me.

May I ask how often you shave?

I tend to just keep my facial hair trimmed. I try not to use a blade because it irritates my neck. I do Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, so I'm sure the grappling contributes to the irritation, which is partially why I've all but given up on shaving with any form of blade.

Usually every other day. Sometimes daily, sometimes as much as 3 days.