Maybe I should start at the beginning. I have always been fascinated with sharp things. Not to an unhealthy degree, never cut myself just to see what it was like or anything like that - more of what I like think of as a boys interest in anything that is a little dangerous. Learned early to respect but not fear the things that can cut you. You can be told a million times to always cut away from yourself, but that first time you slip with an xacto while trimming the piece to a model you are assembling really teaches the lesson like nothing else can. Maybe boy scouts is where I tried to sharpen a knife for the first time. No one taught me how or gave me any advice - I think I got the stone I was using from an uncle who was cleaning out their closet - so I didn't even have the benefit of the instructions that came with it. That poor swiss army knife never cut anything again. It didn't give it's life in vain though - the total failings I experienced while wearing that blade down to nothing drove home another lesson that I had heard a lot but to this day sometimes forget. It has many different ways of being taught - "Measure twice, cut once.", "Dude, what the fuck were you thinking ?" and so on. I say it like this - Time spent learning to do a thing properly is never time wasted. Read whatever I could find (this was before the internet) about sharpening after that and eventually became somewhat proficient at knife sharpening -in that whatever I worked on was sharper when I was done than it was when I started. As I have got older I have gained a deep appreciation of things that are well made. A lot of the time that means things that were made a long time ago - when things were not so disposable. A while back I read an article somewhere about the comeback that wet shaving was making and I think that's what got me where I am now. I've used cartridges and disposables my whole shaving life, and whether it was the constant rising cost or the inconsistent shaves I got - I have always felt disdain for them. The hook was set. After a lot of lurking on this and other razor forums, I have gone about gathering what will make up my kit. I want to respectfully tip my hat to those that contribute regularly here, as well as the man who built the place where we gather (two tips to you Mr. Abrams). Please know that your time and effort here are appreciated. I look forward to continue learning from you all and contributing whenever I can.