The stuff Larry sells are vintage straight razors that may have some cosmetic flaws (Pitting, ugly handles etc) but are fully functional and truly shave ready. I got my first true straight from him and it's still in my rotation today, In fact, I prefer the shave I get from it over my Dovo I got from SRD and my TI that was honed by Lynn)

Please understand this is NOT a knock on SRD etc, they sell QUALITY stuff and anything honed by Lynn will be as sharp and smooth as that particular razor is capable of being (He wrings every last drop of sharpness/smoothness out of the blade....truly masters level work IMHO ) It's just that I find the cheapo WD razor I have to be more comfortable FOR ME (this is one of those YMMV things )

Get the inexpensive WD razor and use it for a few shaves, then if you feel this is for you, get the SRD stuff going forward since you will want a 2nd razor at least so when one is off being re-honed (or you roll the edge on the strop etc ) you have a spare to keep shaving with.


As for the soap, that is also a very personal thing, I would look for soap sampler packs so you can try different things, MWF is my soap of choice these days, but it does take some getting used to to build lather with it. but then again trying all the different scents etc is part of the fun and enjoyment!

Good luck!