Hi--

I just want to introduce myself--I'm Emily and I just graduated from USC--and I guess since I'm done with late night studying for awhile I found myself in need of a new hobby!

Anyway, I am so excited to get started--to be honest using a straight razor to shave first occurred to me in one of those rare "Ah ha!" moments--I have younger siblings and no matter how many times I tell them not to, they both seem to like to "borrow" my current disposables whenever they can (I know, "gross!"). Well, it occurred to me that if I used a straight razor...if either of them decided to appropriate it, joke's probably going to be on them!

I love the idea of a more environmentally friendly method of shaving than using disposables. I have fairly strong opinions regarding the tendency of our society to produce and consume so-called "disposable" products and thus create unnecessary waste, not to mention the gratuitous use of resources this process requires--resources that could more aptly be appropriated in some other manner.

Lastly, I'm always interested in learning and perfecting a new craft. Competence in any artform is always sexy.

Oh, one more thing, and I hope this is an acceptable thing to say here (I've read the conduct guidelines, etc, and I think I'm okay, obviously if I'm not I'll take it down), but I would really love some help with acquiring my first razor. I've read all the threads I can find about the best razors to start out with, paying special attention to the ones in the Ladies Corner, and so I think I'm looking for more or less a 6/8 half-hollow ground blade with a rounded tip. I also kind of like the idea of going a bit smaller than a 6/8 (even though it is right in the middle of the spectrum) as it seems several female aficionados (aficionadas? hmmm....) have expressed preferences for 4/8 or 5/8 blades...I also found that dovo markets a razor as a "Ladies" razor and it has a 4/8 blade. This was in an old thread:"I bought a brush from this seller on ebay, and he happens to have some Weltmaister 3/8 NOS razors that are quite petite (only 2 inches long). Maybe the ladies who prefer smaller blades would be interested?" and another thread where a female user says that she likes short blades, with about 2.5 inches being good. I also found a redirect in one of the Ladies threads to this thread: http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...-jubilaum.html which seems very interesting....

So, anyhoo, on to the main issue: I've been browsing the classifieds on this site and (dare I say it?) ebay looking for a good deal on a straight razor that fits my needs...but bottom line is that I really don't know how to assess what I'm looking at. I have a limited budget for new hobbies (like I said, recent college grad), but I would really really appreciate it if all you smart razor people would keep me in mind and if you happen to stumble across something that you think I should be interested in, please let me know. I would be so grateful for any recommendations or advice.

Wowee, sorry for such a long "introduction," I'm just so excited to a) meet you all and b) get started!

Cheers, and Happy New Year!

--Emily