I believe this is the first forum I have ever posted to.

A few weeks ago, I was looking through a magazine and saw an ad for the Art of Shaving. Always wanting to look my best, I checked it out. Through looking into some other options, I discovered this extremely unique world. To top things off, I was looking for a new hobby. Brewing your own beer is wonderful, but you cannot do it everyday when you are in law school.

So, I started purchasing everything I felt I needed. Merkur HD DE, lots of creams and soaps, C+E Best Badger brush. Lots of washcloths. Well, for the first time in my life, I actually look forward to shaving. Law school is a real bear, and to have those few minutes where I only think about one thing, other than the law, is a real blessing.

Fast forward. When I finally told my wife about my new hobby (we do not live together during the week) she was extremely surprised I did not go the straight razor route. I had to admit my absolute fear.

Well, she encouraged me to try it anyway. So that is what I have decided to do. I have been reading posts for a while and now I have a few questions. Some of these have been answered elsewhere, but there are so many contradictions, it is hard for me to narrow things down.

First off, I have taken the abundance of advice that suggested Lynn Abrams' DVD. That should be arriving any day now. (Wish I could have downloaded, paid for it and watched it the same day, but I digress.)

Second, the one thing I have seen repeatedly recommended, without fail, is a strop from Tony Miller. I emailed him, and he seems to recommend the strap as opposed to the paddle, especially when starting. Question here though, what level should I begin with? More on this later.

Third, honing has never been something I was any good at. I look forward to learning some things from the DVD, but the Norton 4k/8k seems pretty universally recommended. I will probably wait a little bit on this, simply because I am on a student's budget.

Fourth, I have plenty of creams, soaps and a brush (as stated above). I am very happy with the C+E best badger as I found recommended on Badgerandblade.com.

So, I think that brings me to the last thing, and the one that I really am spinning my wheels over. I have no good idea about where to begin with in choosing a blade. Unlike the Merkur HD I learned about on badgerandblade, I just cannot find a good consensus on what I should choose when it comes to my first straight razor.

Here are my criteria. I have no problem spending extra money when the value (defined qualityrice) is high. I do not want to spend a tremendous amount of money on something that I am not going to enjoy, but at the same time, I do not necessarily want to go as low as I can if quality suffers. I understand that I cannot get the best razor for the lowest price, but I am really looking for that best value out there. Remember, student's budget, but I can find some money if I need it, just not too much.

I understand that DOVO seems to be a good brand, as well as TI, but should I really consider one over the other as my first razor. In other words, am I going to be so disappointed in a few months with one, that it would have been a much better idea to spend the extra money at the beginning for the better razor, even if marginally better at the beginning. The same thing goes for the strop. I will definitely go to Tony Miller. But is the lowest quality (I know it is still great) going to be good for a year, or is it something I am going to have to replace with another hanging strop in a few months. I know the paddle will come sooner than later, but that is not so much a problem now.

Finally, when it comes to the blade, what size is recommended for getting started. It seems that 5/8 blades are quite common , almost standard, but should I consider something else in the beginning? I am a pretty large guy, so my face is nice and big and round. I have a goatee that I plan on keeping for some time, it makes the double chin look better. I am not sure if that will help with the advice but I thought I would put it out there.

If it does not come shave ready (either from Tony or through Classic Shaving), I will have it done professionally before starting.

I think that is about it. If there are other things I should be thinking about, please let me know.

Alright, I've got the bug. I love this stuff already. Thanks in advance for any information. I greatly appreciate it.

Best regards,
Jonathan