Broke some rules but got lucky!
Did I buy a straight on EBay? Actually, I bought five. Three Wade and Butchers, a John Sellers and Sons, and a Kahnweiler & Co. Two of the W&Bs were advertised as 'shave ready' and, based on extensive interaction and communication with one of the sellers, I am definitely convinced his description was accurate. A close inspection of each piece under heavy magnification convinced me that I had gotten good value for my buck. Ok, so much for ignoring rule (strong recommendation) number one.
Never having set a bevel on or honed a straight razor, I bypassed strong recommendation number two and bought a set of Norton stones. I decided to save a few bucks and flatten the stones with sandpaper instead of springing for a flattening stone. A few cups of coffee later, I had flattened both sides of both stones. After a good deal of youtube video viewing, I began the process of honing the three razors that definitely weren't 'shave ready'. About and hour and a half later, I believed them to be 'done'.
The final step . . . my first shave. Stropped both the razor I received that was 'shave ready' and a W&B that I honed. I'm happy to report that my first shave was successful. I went at it slowly and gently and discovered I could stretch my skin in ways that I never imagined I could. No nicks, no cuts, no burn and as good a shave as I had been getting with my DE. I did not do any shaving beyond going with the grain of my whiskers - no 'over, under, sideways, down' just yet. I used the razor I honed on one side and the one that came to me pre-honed on the other and was unable to experience any significant difference between the two in terms of sharpness.
Overall, I'm delighted with the experience and am looking forward to getting rid of the new stubble tomorrow!
Sean
