Thread: Seeking Guidance: Looking for my first straight razor!

Hey there !

A lot has been said that I don't need to come back to.

That being said, since you're an absolute beginner, I guess there is no harm in buying a sacrificial blade and paddle if you can get both for less than 20 bucks.

When you will be learning to strop there is a good chance you will ruin a good blade and nick your leather with bad gestures.

Provided the blade is not in too rough a shape, it can be salvaged later, and the strop goes to the bin. $20 is not that expensive a lesson.

I always keep blades on hand for newbies , but just the port would kill the deal (and I'm not an authorized seller anyway)

Oh and yes, prep. That's pretty much the only part on which Sweeney Todd is spot on. Quality soap, quality brush (yes Yaqi brushes on AliExpress make good starters, and yes Arko works well enough and is cheap), learn to do it with your current razor if not electric.