Hi all,

New guy here. A quick story of how I ended up here and then a question/request for input.

I get my hair cut at a local barber shop (San Antonio, TX) and am usually happy with the results. They've been rotating barbers between stores lately and it's a crap-shoot whether one of the two I actually like will be at the store by my house.

So the other day I am out with my 12 y.o. daughter getting donuts (for lunch, no less!) and we park in front of a "men's salon" I'd heard of but handn't ventured into simply because of price, which is about twice what my regular barber charges. But my daughter liked the look of the place and asked if we could go there instead of driving ALL the way to the regular place. Funny what a 12 year old's perception of a 10 minute drive is. So I said, "why not."

First off, you have to love a place that offers you a FREE cold Shiner, on tap, before you get your hair cut. Then a very nice woman set about massaging my scalp, washing and cutting my hair, rinsing, putting a hot towel on my face, moiturizing/massaging my face and, shaving my neck with what I now know is a "shavette". I've had my neck shaved with a straight razor for the last 10 years, so this wasn't really anything new. The results have varied, but she did an excellent job of pre/post shave care. During this pampering we were discussing the use of a straight razor and why men have gone away from that. She said that I really should come back in and let her shave me as there was "nothing smoother or more soothing." I thought that might be a nice treat, but then I started wondering why she could do that and I couldn't. So I started surfing for info (anyone else here suffer from mild OCD??) and found this great forum.

I've done the research, know what kind of soap I'm going to try first (MB), have a mug, and the wife just told me she has some Nivea face moisturizer that should serve as a good place to start my post shave care.

I've picked the strop (bridle) and brush (Simpson B4) and am deciding on the razor. I want to go the new route and am pretty sure I'll be buying from SRD as they promise a razor honed by some guy named "Lynn". I'd rather start with a tool I know is good and blame the outcome on the craftsman.

So here's the question: Dovo Bismarck or Black Star? I would also consider the Ebony, though I wonder if the spike is just asking for it since I'm a complete novice. I'm 5'9" and my hands are relatively small, so I'm torn between 5/8 and 6/8, though leaning more toward 5/8. I've read the FAQ, but I'm also smart enough to realize there's a difference between a 6'5" newbie and a 5'9" one. Side note: why do they make socks for shoe sizes 6-12???

Is there another option I'm not considering? Not really interested in the plastic handled "Best Quality" or Boker King Cutter.

Thanks in advance for the your help,

--David