Greetings!

This is my first post here and I'm happy to say that I'm getting back to wet shaving (straight razor) after 20 years of doing it the hard way. I recently came into possession of my Grandfather's old straights and remembered how he showed me to shave with them even before I was old enough to need it. Although I'm sure some of what he taught me will come to the surface as I start shaving with straights again, I'm sure there have been some changes in the other products over the years.

What I would like is a little advice on gear other than razors. Strops (and their use), pastes, stones, brushes, soaps & creams, and anything else I might need. It seems a little overwhelming, but I'm committed to doing this. I'm tired of the mediocre results I've gotten with disposables and don't even get me started about electrics. That being said I will be getting quite a few new items in the next week or so and any help would be appreciated. As far as prices go, I would rather pay more for good quality than less for something that will end up gathering dust or in the trash.

All right Gentlemen, let the opinions flow freely.

Thanks,
Mike