I've been using a straight razor for years. There's a bit of a learning curve but the results are worth it as far as closeness and less/no irritation. Other advatages are that you always have a sharp blade because you strop it before every shave! Plus you will not need need to buy a razor for a very long time. I've been using the same two razors for the last 7-8 years. - one of which was used by my father for about 40 years prior to me using it.