So, last night at my in-laws, I found 3 old straight razors that he offered to let me try. I have never shaved with a straight razor, but a quick bit of Googling brought me here. Great forum and Wiki and now I am very jazzed to try my hand at this.

Questions: One of the razors is a CV Heljestrand, No. 24 with a 3/8 blade. Is 3/8 too narrow for a beginner? The other blades are Wester Bros. and I believe are 4/8, but at least one of them appears to have a nick in the blade. Thoughts on how to proceed? Can a nick be fixed?

On another note, the Heljestrand belonged to my wife's great-uncle in Norway. I saw a picture of the guy and he had truly impressive 19th Century mustaches! Perhaps that explains the narrowness of the blade.

Thanks in advance for the help.