Greetings from Alberta

Hello! I'm a new member from Alberta, Canada. I've been interested in shaving with a straight razor for a while now, and after lurking on this forum for the better part of the week, I decided to make an account and say hi. I've read most of the Beginner's Guide pages in the Library and was surprised with how much information there is available here. There's so much, in fact, that I feel totally swamped! I haven't even gotten a razor yet, and now I'm scared that if I get anything decent, I'll ruin it with my complete and utter lack of experience and end up wasting my money. Do any of the more experienced members here have any suggestions for a first razor and strop? For the razor, I was thinking a Dovo Best Quality 5/8 or something like that. Seems pretty basic to me. (But then, what do I know?) Or should I forgo getting a new razor and buy something used for my first blade? And for strops, I have no idea what I should be looking out for.

Apologies for my near-complete lack of knowledge, and a tremendous thanks in advance for any and all help, advice, and/or suggestions you can offer.

Welcome. There is actually quite a few members in Alberta, and several of those are in Edmonton. Thisisclog (Jon) is a member here and lives in Beaumont and is quite knowledgeable and will likely respond in this thread. If not PM him.

New for your first is not a bad plan. There are very good deals on shave ready razors in the classifieds, quite often there are good beginner razors there too.

Hello Bro' and welcome to SRP.
You are very fortunate to find this place as you begin your new hobby into straight razor shaving.
A ton of info in the "library" and many members to answer your questions
I look forward to meeting you in person.
Soon you will be able to S.L.A.M.!!!!:rock:

Welcome to SRP!
Rest assured that with your first razor you will roll the edge, cut your strop, nick yourself, and get razor burn. Accept it. Rolled edges can be honed, cut strops can be sanded, nicks can be sealed, and razor burn can be cooled. We've all been there and done that.

Whether you buy a new razor or a vintage razor the most important thing is that is professionally hand honed. A Dovo Best is a good introductory razor. A Ralf Aust is another brand in the same price range. If you decide to go vintage, then I'd suggest the classifieds on this site - the people here know what "shave ready" means.

Hi and welcome. Even entry level new razors will last a lifetime and are good quality. As said for vintage you can't go past the classifieds here. Strops with replacement parts are a good idea for a beginner. Good luck and any questions feel free to ask

Welcome to SRP

Welcome to the forum. As a new myself I can tell you relax don't worry have a home brew. Oops, wrong forum. But same principle here. You have started in the right place by reading the the tutorials here and gleaning advice from the experts here. Once you take the plunge just remember this is not a race, so take your time, eliminate all distractions and enjoy the ride. Start small and advance as you get comfortable with your equipment. You will experience a few bumps, nicks and scrapes, that is all part of the learning experience. If you keep at it and learn from your mistakes you will be shaving like an expert in no time.

Welcome fellow Albertan! I have a Dovo 5/8, and love it. Dive in, you'll love it! :)

Welcome aboard

Welcome to SRP!

Welcome, feel free to PM.

Wow, thanks for all the advice and the warm welcome, guys. I really appreciate it!

The fun begins, welcome to the forum.

Welcome aboard, this is a very social forum and I have chatted with some great people. Enjoy the ride.

A huge thanks to Thisisclog! He offered to meet up with me in person, and he sat down with me and answered all my questions about straight razors and everything involved with them over some beers! I had a lot of questions answered and got to hear a bit about his perspective on straight razor shaving. He was very informative and friendly about it. Thanks a ton, Jon!

Just happy to pay it forward.

welcome fellow Edmontian. And yes Thisisclog is the man,, there are several members in the Edmonton area we should do a wings and beer night.

There is only one thing better than sitting down with Jon and that's sitting down with half a dozen SR shaver fanatics at a "meet".
There is a rumour about an Alberta Meet in May in Calgary.
Keep your ears open for details.