Quote Originally Posted by 2Sharp View Post
Hang out on the BST for a couple evenings and pick up a shave ready razor for $30 to $50 and a beginners strop from TM and you are good to go for a month or two. After that get a pasted paddle and you can maintain your razor for a long time. This is about the cheapest way to go.

bj
Can you keep a shave-ready razor sharp for a month with just leather and no linen, along with no stropping experience? I don't think it's practical.

Separate out the brush and soap. You can use canned gel until the time is right, or get a brush and soap for about $15 in Walgreens.

Other than that, I've started a thread on what the real starting cost might be. I don't think you want to start with a setup you'll have trouble maintaining a sharp razor with. I really think you're talking about $90-$110 to start with a setup you won't find frustrating, and that's with a $30 razor.