I'm not a pro - I'm still learning too! :)
However when it comes to knowledge of honing, there are few who are even close to the level that Glen is, so I certainly defer to his experience.
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as you mentioned the cost of the stones is not cheap , but to have it pro honed is relatively cheap and it will be shave ready, plus as was said if its not a good blade, they wont waste your time and money, better to look in our classifieds and get an inexpensive shave ready blade to start ,,, good luck tc
First rule about shaving:
Never ever put a blade to your face that wont effortlessly "pop" dry hairs from your arm (above skin level).
And that is simply a minimum, no guarantees, level of sharpness.
Second thing. The easiest way to get a fully-shave-ready edge is to PAY someone who shaves with straight razor to provide it for you, OR to buy a "shave ready" razor from a trusted source (who shaves with straight razor).
Third, it's not as easy as we make it look.
Best of luck.
Nothing more expensive than buying razors and stones that won't work.
Most new razors from reputable makers will cost between 100-200 USD. Paying half that for a new razor from a faceless source will likely never get you a razor of substance.
That steel might take and edge, but i doubt that it will hold it. It may not even take an edge, and the grind may be "off". I'd relegate it to letter-opening for now.
The trouble with learning to shave with a straight edge is that there are so many variables compared to other shaving methods. So, when you're learning, there is so much to think about/learn/vary etc. Everyone will have a different experience, so asking for advice from 1000's is sometime overwhelming! That said, I'll give you mine. Get your razor professionally honed to reduce at least one of the variables. Then meet up with some experienced members - I've done that a few times and it has been way more helpful than reading/watching online. Most importantly, don't give up. Everyone has started from where you are now. Good luck!
Yeah that's what I am going to do ! I will get a professionally honed straight edge and practice will people close to where I live ! I just need to find people in Montreal hahaha. I know 1 person so far