Thread: I'm New, and have a few simple questions.

Good advice above!! +1, however there's another angle to this razor. I bought, very early into straights, a Boker Extra Hollow, beautiful razor, no gold wash, honed by SRD and shave ready, right up until I got it. Recommend you strop before first shave. Well, I stropped it on a 3 inch Buffalo Strop. Having come from fine art wood carving, I stropped it like it was an African jungle machete. Full or Extra Hollows are very, very, very thin at the edge and before. They will distort at the slightest touch of a fingernail on the side of them. Not realizing this I shaved with it after I stropped it, or more accurately I shaved at it. Terrible!! Pulled, wouldn't cut, hung up on the whiskers, nicks. Boy!, am I glad I bought this. Honing and stropping take a very light to no extra pressure touch with this razor, especially. Point-If you're not at least basically skilled in stropping, which you will have to do daily, it might be better to get a quarter or half ground razor for your first and learn your technique on something a little more forgiving, then get the full or extra hollow as your second. Truth is, the Boker is now my favorite razor, but only after learning how delicate it is. This was rather long, but I hope it will help to make your emergence into straights a little less stressful and much more fun. Enjoy the ride!!!

Howard