Hi There,

I'm about to buy my first straight razor. I've been shopping around and know of a couple of reputable places I can buy pre-honed razors from the US.

However - I'm located in Australia, and the shipping from the US not only takes time, but the more I think about it - the more it worries me. Call me old fashioned - but I get nervous waiting for products to come in from overseas. I've bought the odd small item off eBay - nothing pricey though.

Back on track though - I've located a source of Dovo razors in Australia, at a good price. However, they're 'retail', and will come as-is, from the Dovo workshop.

If I were to consider buying in Australia, and honing myself - what would I need?

I would imagine they'd come pretty close to being shave-ready, and just need to be finished? I.e. I shouldn't need a great deal of stones to get the razor to where it needs to be? Or could pastes on balsa wood adequately do the job?

The hardest task might be locating the stones within Australia. But I'd love 'brands' and grades to start with so that I can begin my search.

Cheers!

Aaron.