Thanks Kevin,
we had great time - makes me wish we could have a larger get-together with the other SE Qld enthusiasts in the not too distant future. I guess Brisbane is the most convenient and central location.
BTW, I had further thoughts on what might make a good set of starter hones: while the venerable Norton combination stones (220/1k and 4k/8k) rightly deserve their place in the honing pantheon, a good alternative choice might be the Naniwa superstones. They're available from many different online stores including Straight Razor Designs. I have noticed that some of the chef's supply shops mark them up quite a bit - especially in this country - so its worth cross checking on prices. Some people buy a full set, only to discover honing isn't for them so ebay might be worth checking out (with the usual caveats of course:nono:)
There is a lot of debate about how many hones you need and what grits you should have. The beginner really only requires a high grit finisher to do the occasional refresher and a traditional barber hone answers this need for many. However, as one's enthusiasm builds and the razor collecting bug bites, the need for a bevel setter and intermediate hone arises, hence the popularity of the King and Norton combos and of the Naniwa single grit waterstones. It would be a good idea to check out this page before proceeding:
What hone(s), paste(s), or spray(s) do I need? - Straight Razor Place Wiki
regards
Mike