New to the forum and to straight razors! just a few questions

[sleekandsmooth]

hey there,
Welcome to SRP. This is the best straight razor community out there and will help you beyond you so much. Just be sure to ask questions first then buy later. Everyone here is very fair and will do their best to help you out. It seems like you got a fairly good starter kit. Like everyone said though, it may or may not be shave ready. Let us know when you get your kit and take some pics. Everyone here loves pics and can get you much more info than without pics. again, welcome and have fun

Shayne.

[MatBurke]

so the practice stop keeps the razor shave ready even though its on the lower end? everything i ready says strop before every shave and if using a balsa wood strop only use that about once a week but continue stroping with a leather strop before every use.... sound about right?

[tlittle]

Basically yes. Strop on leather before every shave. Unfortunately, I don't see anything about sharpening pastes being included with that balsa strop.

When it comes in, see if there are some pastes or powders with it. Green Chromium Oxide paste (or powder) is a common one. That will need to be applied to the balsa in order to make it effective for touchups. As far as I know balsa on its own doesn't do much of anything.

[Pdav]

Hey Matt, welcome,

I am not an expert by any means but I can offer advice based on what I've learnt in my 12/18 months of using a straight. Money was tight for me when I started so a £100 set up was not and option. I trawled the local antique and junk shops and have so far managed to amass 7 razors (the intention is to restore them). I generally pay £5 for them, they are all old and need some work but they are all decent razors. I have 2 TR Cadmans, 2 Joseph Rogers, 1 Hygienic, 1 Krico and 1 FW Engels. I had a Puma that was lovely and I broke it as I was polishing it with a Dremmel!!! Anyway, my point is that you don't have to spend big money to get a good shave. The one I use at present was £5 and is a TR Cadman Bengall and it shaves like a demon. It don't look pretty (yet) and needs some work but the shave is the important thing and this baby delivers.
I originally bought a cheap razor from Cyril R Salter and spent 3 years trying it out and putting it away again because it was just a painful experience every time. These are listed in the "Do Not Touch" section somewhere!! So first of all, find that section and read it.
Then I got hold a Chinese waterstone on Ebay for about £15. I had an old stone in my toolbox and between the two I have managed to hone up my Bengall and it shaves great. I have been honing for a year though! Each time I shave I hone a little beforehand and this thing just gets sharper and sharper. I think it may be at it's peak now. I can run this over my arm, off the skin by a couple of mm and the hairs just fall before it!!! That has taken some time, granted, but the learning curve that I have been through has taught me so much.
As for the actual shaving it's the same again. It will take time and there will be frustrations and accidents along the way. That's just the way it is. As I have said, I am over a year in and recently had my first completely nick, cut, bleed free shave. That felt great until my last one when I nicked myself 4 times!! I still struggle to get really close around either side of my Adams apple but I will persevere and it will come in the end
The thing is, just keep at it and you will learn as you go. And strop before you shave, it does make a difference.