A straight razor may be great for the macho, nostalgic effect, but it is my understanding that even the best of them don't offer as close a shave as a modern, high-quality multi-blade cartridge razor. I use all the best stuff (oils, creams, silver-tip badger brush, etc.) but my razor is a battery powered Gillette Fusion ProGlide.
The downside is the rip-off that razor cartridges have become. Those suckers cost $3-$4 EACH! Definitely not a deal. I might give the straight razor (knife style) or double edge classic razor another try out of protest.