Thread: A Couple of Questions

Hi everyone,
I've been shaving for less then a month now and was wondering if I could ask a couple of quick questions.
First: Should I strop after I shave? If so should I use the linen side? B4 I shave I usually do 40 linen/ 60 leather. Should I just repeat this?

Second: What do the grinds mean? I asked a similar question earlier and received some info and did some studying. But I'm still unsure on the reason behind different grinds.

Third: I've been oiling my blade with baby oil. My wife had some in the house and it says that it is really purified mineral oil. It seems to work fine, and I definitely need to use some oil since I live in Washington and it hasn't stopped raining for about a week now. But I was worried about any unnoticeable longterm damage.

Fourth: What would be a good brush with really long bristles that is relatively cheap? I get up b4 my wife and she complains that she knows when I start making lather because she can hear the pinging of the brush handle against the bowl.

Fifth: I bought the Ogallala Bay rum sampler pack and it came with a sampler of the aftershave. I really liked the smell when I first put it on. But not a big fan on how it degrades throughout the day into something almost like vanilla, or a spice cake. Are there any good cheap bay rum aftershaves out there that are witch hazel based as well. I like the witch hazel feeling more then alcohol. Especially since I'm still cutting myself.

Thanks for the help.