Hi there,

I recently bought my first straight razor and attempted to shave with it. After an awkward and disappointing first try (the razor pulled on my face and removed almost no hairs) I decided to research the problem. I discovered that most internet bought razors, although advertised as 'shave ready' are actually anything but. So i got myself a Norton 4K/8K and a chinese 12K along with Lynn's DVD and studied it closely.

I attempted the pyramid technique and tried to shave again, but I guess the number of laps I chose were not sufficient. So my noob questions are:

My razor is pretty much brand new (except for a few attempted shaves and a little noob honing, I'm pretty sure I didnt damage it there, I was very careful), what would be the best course of action? can anyone give me any advice for how I should hone a almost brand new razor? (pyramid or not, approx number of laps for each grit ect) or should I try and track down a honemeister in Australia to get a starting point, and just refine the pre-honed edge they set as necessary?

Any help is appreciated

Cheers