Todd at Science of Sharp mostly did razor sharpening for his early posts. In the last few years he branched into analyzing some of the supersteels used in knives.
I hone my own. My edges are not on par with pro edges I've used but I'm often a few weeks between shaves and I like it a little forgiving on the flesh. I'm not too fussed about billiard ball smooth
I only ever sent one razor out for sharpening, it was for some comedy level sharp from someone using Ken Schwartz sub-micron sprays. Glad I tried it, not for me.
In the first few years I bought maybe ten or more cheap vintage razors from people who seemed to know what they were doing, was a nice way to try different blades and edges.
That brought a chuckle. Ken is no longer with us, but I had many a phone conversation with him about sharpening and about his products. I liked Ken's enthusiasm for freehand sharpening and for making different abrasive products available. We did not always agree so some of those conversations were heated. I don't have any of his sprays but I do have a bunch of CBN and polycrystalline diamond powder (PDP) emulsions. I use them, but agree wholeheartedly that you can do without them.
I don’t want to get into bevel-setting and razor restauration myself.
I think I fall in between. Setting a bevel doesn't scare me, but I don't have the bandwidth to start restoring old blades. That being said, I have a bunch of scales and a couple blades I planned to fit them on, but I never seem to find the time 🙂.
I don’t really want to entrust a straight razor to the postal service.
For someone who is interested and willing to put up with some trial and error, razor edge maintenance is a very approachable skill.
Learning how to properly set a bevel and how to deal with geometry issues takes a lot more time, but people have been shaping tools and weapons by rubbing metal on rocks for a very long time. Most folks can do this.
For someone getting into straights, I suggest getting a pro edge to start with. Unfortunately, many shave-ready edges aren’t.
And for someone who doesn’t want to hone or doesn’t have the time, I suggest using a pasted strop every 15 shaves (or so). Assuming your stropping technique is reasonable, this will significantly extend your edge refresh interval.
For someone getting into straights, I suggest getting a pro edge to start with.
Yeah, this is important advice. I never felt sure my blades were sharp until I had blades honed by Ralf Aust and Brad Maggard to compare to (and later yours, too!)