Hey all,

In 10 days I will pick up my first straight razor and get my first professional straight razor shave. Till then I used to shave with a safety razor and therefore stropping and honing is new for me. Those new things are giving my hard times in choosing the right products. Maybe it is because of my language lack, I'm a native Dutch citizen, but I don't know the difference between certain types of stropping products.

For what I have seen so far, you have three types of stopping products. The hanging strop, the paddle strop with two sides and the paddle stop with four sides. So my questions are:

1. Is the paddle strop with two sides the same as the hanging strop, so with a leather and linen surface?

2. However some have not a linen surface but with some kind of side with pasta.

3. Isn't the use of pasta the same as honing with a stone?

4. What do I have to buy, to be fulfilled for the next 50 years? (That includes a honing stone, which you don't want to do as a beginner, but in 10 years I certainly have to do haha)

Great thanks, Robin