Three things I'd do for sure, if I were a new SR shaver again -- FWIW
I thought I'd post this thread after being into this art a little more than a year, straightening my 'shave den' today and reflecting on my SR journey (and inventory). Maybe to help real beginners we could each list our opinion as to what we'd do if we started over again with SR shaving.
Here are those three things for me.
- I would buy a quality SR from a quality dealer who hones before shipping (you know where the alternatives are). I lucked out and did this the first time after very little reading or research, just by stumbling onto SRP and its advertisers.
- I would buy AT MOST 2 good soaps and a decent ($10-20) brush and learn to use them. My father wet shaved for years with a bar of Ivory soap and one brush (the same one). His face was always smooth as a baby's when I was a kid and he hugged me goodnight at the end of his long work day (and he used a DE with Gillette Red or Blue Blades). If you work at it, you can get a workable lather with almost any shave soap today IF you play with the water mixture and work at it with your brush.
- Get a 3" strop. I skimped there on the money and got a decent; but hard to learn on 2" strop. Again, you don't need to go for super expensive, but at least to me 3" was much easier after I messed up my edges (I had 2) with my first narrow strop.
Of course now I have all the addictive disorders and have at least 20 soaps and creams, 9 straights, 4 strops (1 paddle, 1 modular paddle, one 2" and my 3" Roo hanging), 4 or 5 brushes (badger, boar, small, medium and larger), 10 aftershaves, 3 witch hazels, 4 DE razors, enough DE blades to equip an Army Division for several months and assorted other supplies. I also have a full set of Naniwa Superstones, a DMT 325 and a Barber's hone. I'm not a good example.:w
However, my point is, you don't need to go nuts ever, but surely not until you're sure you are going to stick with it. As with technique, start slowly and build as you learn. The first thing I'd add is a second good SR, for when #1 is out to be honed. As to the other stuff, the LAST things I'd think about are hones and all those other extras can come later.
hey, I know some will disagree, but jump in! Help our fellow beginners!!