OK i'm new to the site and straight razor..My wife bought me brush/cream and prep items from AOS for xmas. As was happy witht the gift and remmebered that 30 years ago i bought myself a SE and strop from Hoffritz and it just didnt work out. Tried it once and that was it. So i figured that i might try it out again. Tried the razor and all it did was tug and pull.(reminded me why i didnt use it again the first time) So i did some research. I bought a 250/1k stone and tried to sharpen it...It got a little better but not that great, but it did make me want to really give this a shot. I ended up buying a razor from SRD...I got a Dovo 5/8 Tortoise. I got it today and tried it out. Well let me tell you (as im sure you already know) WHAT A DIFFERENCE. I am now hooked. I went slow and took my time and got a real nice shave. Some spots were not the best(jaw line) but that will come with time and better technique. I just have a few questions.

With this new razor should i strop it before my next shave?
How long should the edge last?
I also notice that because i was taking my time my shave cream dried up a little. Should i apply more or is to much shave cream bad.?


also bouhgt a 4/8k stone and going to try and get the old razor shave ready..
Hone question...
When honeing the razor you put tape on the spine..should the spine be making contact with the stone for the right angle?


Any help would be greatly appreciated...Thanks