I shave with a straight. I'm not sure what you're after, but:
On buying one:
1) Buy a good one, a cheap one is a dangerous waste of money. Off the top of my head, there are only a handful of good razor makers left. Dovo, Puma-Werk, and Issard of France. Unless you get lucky, a nice one will run $40+. Some folks use antiques, an they can be really nice also.
2) Most razors are sized in 1/8" increments with 5/8" wide being most common, although they go all the way up to 12/8(1 1/2") wide. Generally, the more wiry your beard, the wider the razor you may want.
3) Buy a round point version if you plan on shaving with it a lot, the square point versions will nick ears and such more often.
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You'll also need a strop and hone to keep your razor in shape.
The strop re-aligns your edge, much like a sharpening steel does with a kitchen knife. This will save you time between honings.
When honing on a stone, rememeber, that unlike a knife, the razor lays flat against the stone.
They're also hollow ground very thin, so becareful. If dropped or banged on the sink or something, you might break a large chip out of the blade.
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As far as shaving with one, I've found they do a neater job, but are a bit slower. They are'nt as dangerous as they seem also. You tend to let your mind wander a lot more using a safety razor.
Hope this was of some help.
