Originally Posted by
ccase39
Just my advice from what I have learned. Whatever you buy make sure its shave ready. Thats the most important thing for a beginner. It gives you a frame of reference of what sharp REALLY is supposed to be for when you start honing. Secondly it will insure any problems you have will be from technique which can be corrected, you know its sharp so that will not be a problem (assuming you strop correctly) Leave the honing alone for a while. And I wouldn't hone with sandpaper period. There is a really good stone out there that is great for beginners and pros alike, the Norton 4k/8k. I would work on face prep, razor care, and technique first though. That will give you at least a couple of months of things to work on.