My wife and I were doing our weekly grocery shopping today in a Safeway store, and as I passed the shaving goods aisle with our grocery cart, a woman appearing to be in her 40s sort of accosted me, walking up to me and starting to talk about her son, who was standing behind her with their cart. I thought she was going to ask me for spare change, but instead she said that her son was now having to shave almost every day, that he wanted a closer shave than he was getting with an electric razor but had somewhat sensitive skin, that the boy's father had died last year, and that she didn't know what to suggest to him for a "straight razor." I explained to her the difference between a straight razor and a safety razor. I asked her son, who looked to me to be around 20 years old, if he had ever used anything other than an electric shaver, and he said no. And I noticed - although I try not to pigeonhole people or make too many assumptions about them - that he appeared to be just a little mentally challenged. (Having been a pediatrician at one time, I learned well how to recognize the subtle and not-so-subtle signs of developmental delay or mental "slowness" in kids and young adults.)
The woman asked what kind of razor I use, and I told her about traditional double edge razors and blades. She asked if her son should use one. Well, with my impression of her son and a gut feeling about the safety concerns of double edge blades, I recommended that he try a Gillette Fusion, saying that men who use cartridge razors spoke highly of it and that it probably would be quite good for a young fellow with sensitive skin. She was very effusive in thanking me for the guidance.
So did I do the right thing? I'm not sure. I hope so.