Hi, I'm Chris, I'm from Buffalo, NY (GO BILLS!!!), but have lived in Anchorage, AK for the past 25 years. My girlfriend gave me a basic Dovo 5/8 straight two Xmas's ago. I've shaved with it ever since. I performed my first hone on it this last week with the norton 220/1000, 400/8000 set and my SRD paddle strop and while I do believe I could use a finer finshing stone and some chrome oxide paste, the result was an improvement from it's out of the box ability and what I though was a smooth shave. I am starting to dabble in vintage razors and restoration, having ordered my first project razors from ebay and am acquiring the necessary tools. I do search the thrift shops in Alaska for razors but pickings have been slim. I find myself becoming very passionate about razors, metal working and all shaving parephenalia and its manufacture, and hope to be able to do it all one day. Soaps, strops, brush making, razor restoring and eventually working my way up to forging. I am thankful for and welcome all advice and hope to be able to return all and any favors received someday. Thanks in advance.