As long as I’m departing from the usual this week, here’s a tip the razor blade companies don’t want you to know about.

If you shave with a blade - any blade - rinse it in cold water while you’re shaving, then in rubbing alcohol before you set it to dry. That will prevent mineral crystals from forming on the edge as quickly, and will increase the life of your blade a couple hundredfold. I routinely get fifteen to twenty shaves from an ordinary blade.

Contrary to popular belief, modern blades don’t get dull. It’s the “sawtooth edge” caused by the mineral crystals that give you razor burn. (That’s what great-grandad was removing when he stropped his straight razor, although no one knew that until electron microscopes came along.)