I am currently a double edge razor user and am interested in getting a straight razor. I would like to give shaving with a straight razor a try; however, after reading through this and other forums I have become confused about the regular honing/stroping procedure.

I understand that stroping is necessary before every shave, but I am confused as to how often honing needs to be done. I have read on some posts/articles that it needs to be done 2-4 times per year (which means I should not have to worry about it and can just send it off to be honed or get it done locally) but have also read that a razor can last 5-15 shaves without being sharpened (meaning that I would have to do some honing myself). I am also confused as to whether getting an additional strop and using diamond paste on it is necessary or not.

I can justify buying a razor and getting it honed every few months; however, if I need to buy a strobe, razor, oils, a honing device, etc. it gets to be a little much.

Any clarification would be greatly apprichated.

Thanks for the excellent information provided on this forum and I hope I can enter the world of shaving with a straight razor!