Hi,

I've been thinking about taking the plunge for several months now. After a particularly boring meeting on Monday, I ended up purchasing some equipment to keep me busy. I should be getting my Dovo half-hollow tomorrow and various equipment (strop, soap, brush, bowl, hone). Sadly, I just found out about the marketplace on this site the day after ordering, but I'll definitely check it out in the future.

I have sensitive skin that dries out easily and no matter what I seem to do, cartridge razors end up giving a painful shave after 2-3 uses and they're so expensive. The couple of times I've had a real straight razor shave at the barber shop, my face has felt great, and I'm ready to work toward feeling that way after every shave. I appreciate the lost art of the SR shave and I really appreciate all of the great posts I've been reading on these forums the last couple of days while I anxiously await my new razor!

Would you recommend buying a second cheaper blade for honing practice, and if so, any specific recommendations?