A logical progression...

Or, I am about to intentionally harm myself.

I ordered a straight razor.

Yep, those scary looking weapons of Sweeney Todd, aka Cut-throat razors.

It's coming from across the pond and should be here in a week or so..just enough time for me to either change my mind, or assemble a proper first aid kit.

Stay tuned.

+++++++++++++  Update  +++++++++++++ 

What a surprise!!  A neatly wrapped package arrived at my office today.. Yes, it's my straight razor!  It made the trip to New York from Austria in about a week less than I expected.

I need some time to research the proper holding technique as well as how to properly segment the shave before I'll let it touch my face.

Straight razors come in many shapes, sizes and designs.  What they have in common is the prep and upkeep of the blade.  The steps required to make a str8 shave-ready are best left to a professional.  A dull blade is far more dangerous than a properly prepared tack sharp blade.  There-after, the blade needs to be honed and stropped to keep it sharp.  This requires a decent inventory of stones, creams, strops and hones, plenty of practice and about as much money.  All on top of the cost of the blade itself.

I decided I wasn't up for the learning curve or monetary commitment so I chose a Feather Artist Club RG "No-Sharpen" straight along with one pack each of the Professional Blades, Professional Super Blades and the Pro-Guard Blades.  I plan to start with the Pro-Guard which have some kind of wire cage on them to protect the newbie from slitting his/her throat.  I figure that's a good plan, but I'll update as I progress.