As stated , you really need to learn how to shave with a straight before you take on honing, just for the simple fact , you really won't know if your edge is shave ready. Surprisingly (not really) most find out they had a fine shaving edge after they learned to shave, what was dull now seems to be fine ,, so first things first, that way you can have success and not be frustrated into quitting. By the way eBay is not for the beginner , buy from a reputable source , it can be just as inexpensive, in our classifieds I have seen shave ready razors for 30-50 dollars, so then all you need is a strop and soap with brush. Good luck. Tc