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.