Thread: Say Hey!

Ok here's what I've got so far.
Dovo SR ebony handle 5/8
A practice razor to try to learn to hone
Taylor of old sandalwood shaving cream bowl and a tube to see what one I like best.
Taylor of old after shave too. I figured I'd try there products since they had good reviews.
30 degree 3" black latigo leather SR strop
Norton water stone starter kit 200/1000
4000/8000 grit
Shaving bowl by Apollo stainless steel w/ lid
Ambroley best badger shaving brush.

If I've missed anything please let me know I've tried to be as prepared as possible.

Miketig, welcome to the forum. You sound well and truly hooked. I've said it before and probably will again - slow and steady wins this race. Don't try to take too much on to begin with. You have a decent razor in your Dovo. Send it out to be pro honed. That will give you a reference as to what a truly shave ready razor shaves like. You can practice your own honing with your cheap razor. You won't get a great edge on your 8k either. You'll need a 10 or 12k to finish on. Stropping is everything. Practice your technique or you'll ruin the edge on the Dovo once it's honed. You've then got the steep learning curve to contend with of actually shaving with it. You won't get great shaves to begin with. Be patient. Persevere. It'll all come together eventually. The very best of luck.

This is all good advice here. For a practice razor, give yourself a $15 budget and go on eBay. Look for an antique without chips in the edge. At worst, you get to practice. At best, you turn it into a great razor. When you can shave comfortably off your 8000 after stropping, that's when you'll benefit from a higher grit stone. I like the Naniwa SS 12k, but there are many options, and all will be worthless until you can get a shaving edge off your 8k. Welcome to the obsession! I mean - hobby, yes, it's just a hobby.