Greetings! I just joined this fine forum tonight after a couple of days of reading, and I have some questions - as if you didn't see THAT one coming....

I posted the following over on another forum a few days ago, trying to decide whether to try a DE or a straight. It pretty much sums up why I'm really excited to get into wetshaving. I keep hearing about how much better and more comfortable the shave is!

" My typical shaving routine is very atypical - about once a week, I use clippers to trim down the stubble that's grown, and maybe once a month I do an actual razor shave, usually the day after I trim. The reason for this is that shaving is very hard on my neck. I had surgery about 12 years ago, and ever since, shaving pretty much irritates the crap out of my neck - lots of burn, bumps, and depending on how close I shave, ingrowns on my neck. If I try to use a razor more than about once a week, my neck looks, and feels, like hamburger. It's not nearly as hard on the rest of my face.

I should also note that I have a 'stache and goatee that are not connected. I trim out the hair between them."

Based on that, most guys thought that I wasn't insane for wanting to go right to a straight, and in fact said it was often easier to transition from a cartridge right to a straight rather than getting there via DE, especially if you don't shave all of the hair from your face.

I've pretty much decided to go with a straight. I don't yet have a razor or strop. I'm looking at a TI Super Gnome from Classic (along with the sharpening service, of course!), Trumper's Violet shave cream, and a horse-hide strop from Tony, since everyone here raves about his work so much! Based on what I've been reading, it'd be a good start, but you guys are the experts. I'm totally new to this type of shaving! Oh, I already have a bristle brush. I know, I know...

Then I read a post earlier today from a week or so ago in which Tony said he planned to thin the herd a bit. Suffice to say, it would be very convenient if I could get the strop and razor/sharpening from the same guy! As of yet, nothing's listed in the classifieds though. Is there another way that stuff gets sold here typically? I've been checking the 'bay, and a couple of razors caught my eye, so we'll see.

I'm leaving town in a few days, and I'll be gone for a bit, so I won't be doing any buying until after I get back unless something hits on the 'bay. I'm hoping to get as much info as I can before then! Thanks!

Joe