Just got my first straight razor from my wonderful wife, for Christmas. I hope this the beginning of a long and beautiful relationship. With the razor i mean, as I already have a beautiful relationship with my wife. Its a new Dovo. Anyway, I'm wondering what I need to complete my setup. Yes I have read though some forum posts and some guides here. Many times in fact. But I am finding some confusing info. I make my own beer. When i began brewing, i ran into the same problem. Everyone you ask, has their opinion on the best methods, techiques, recipes, and equipment. Everyone is entitled to their opinion of course, but its really confusing for a person starting out and just wants to know where to begin. So I ask you, as 100% noob, where do i start? I have the razor, but it needs honed. Do I learn to do it myself, which is ultimately my goal anyway, or send it off this first time? I need a strop. What brand, what material (one or two sided), how wide, paste or no paste, what kind of paste? I want to learn to hone. How do i best learn? What brand of hone is best without breaking the bank? 4k/8k seems to be the common type mentioned around here, but there also lots of talk about finer grits and diamond pastes. Are these 100% necessary for an edge that passes the standing hair test? Long time lurker, but first time poster. Go easy on me. Also, Merry Christmas.