Greetings from South Carolina!
My name is Ed and I took up wet shaving approximately two years ago. I was fed up with paying $45 for 16 razor cartridges that would last a week or two and then go in the trash. I began to research ways to shave while minimizing costs and came across wet shaving articles. After reading many, I decided I would try it. Went on Amazon and picked up a Merkur 38C, Esacali badger hair brush, proraso green soap, and proraso green aftershave. Now, I own a Merkur 1904 (Open Comb) and have added proviso pre-shave cream and proviso after shave lotion to the ritual and it is something I really look forward to everyday.
I have now reached the point where I would like to try straight razor shaving and after much research on this site, I will be ordering the following:
Straight Razor: Will choose between a Boker Edelweiss or T.I. 275 Special Coiffeur
Strop: Two sided one (Leather and Fabric)
Honing Stone: Norton 4K/8K
It's shaping up to be quite an investment, but after reading much on the topic, it makes sense to buy decent gear and start off right.
Thanks to the senior guys for sharing all their knowledge and I will be sure to contribute where I think I can contribute.