Greetings from Tucson!

[Thorshammer]

Well. Had been thinking of going the straight razor route in order to save money. Sure. Plan worked like most plans. I have a Col. Ichibod Conk in hand, a red bone Dovo on it's way, along with 6 other razors (5 from e-bay I plan to practice honing and restoring). I could have bought 300 mach cartridges.
Did I mention I started a week ago with a DE?
I think this place is dangerous, and I don't mean shaving wise.
Afer a week of DE shaving (I have my entire head so there is a lot of surface area there), I jumped into the straights. Last night was the first night with a straight. Doctor was able to reatach my right ear after a sneeze (jk). The learning curve is going to be a bit tougher with these straights.
Anyway, just thought I would say "Hi" after lurking around for awhile.

[red96ta]

Welcome to SRP! Enjoy your stay and don't hesitate to drop a question if you have one.

[HNSB]

Welcome to SRP!

It sounds like you already have a case of RAD (razor acquisition disorder).
Be sure to read as much as you can in the wiki.

Oh, and be careful with those Ebay razors... Until you get a real good idea of what you're looking for you can end up with some stuff that isn't much good for anything, or overpaying for stuff that you could find elsewhere.

[NFlames]

Hello from a fellow Arizonian. I'm currently in Phoenix but grew up in Tucson. Welcome to your new addiction.

[onimaru55]

Welcome aboard. Sounds like you got the right idea. Buy plenty, learn lots

[Thorshammer]

Thanks everyone! I took my first straight razor shave the other night but still relied on the DE for my noggin'. Have read most of the stuff on the wiki in order to not have to ask too many questions.
My first shave was not exactly great, but I did not think it would be as the razor was not quite shave ready. No blood, no foul.
I now have the Spyderco bench stones (medium, fine, and ultra fine) and have honed my first razor (Fromm), and made my own strop. Not sure I got it sharp enough as a HHT will cut the hair and slice it down the middle lengthwise (my very own beard wisker). I used to sharpening leather tools, and honing a razor seems not too difficult (I'm probably missing something there and will eventually have a razor that looks like a Lantik sword edge - wavy). Hopefully my shave ready Dovo will arrive this week so I can tell what a real shave ready straight should be like (getting it from Straight Razor Designs).

First question would be if I need to lap the Spyderco stones or if folks think they should be fine as is.

[jhenry]

Well. Had been thinking of going the straight razor route in order to save money. Sure. Plan worked like most plans. I have a Col. Ichibod Conk in hand, a red bone Dovo on it's way, along with 6 other razors (5 from e-bay I plan to practice honing and restoring). I could have bought 300 mach cartridges.
Did I mention I started a week ago with a DE?
I think this place is dangerous, and I don't mean shaving wise.
Afer a week of DE shaving (I have my entire head so there is a lot of surface area there), I jumped into the straights. Last night was the first night with a straight. Doctor was able to reatach my right ear after a sneeze (jk). The learning curve is going to be a bit tougher with these straights.
Anyway, just thought I would say "Hi" after lurking around for awhile.

Thorshammer,

Welcome to SRP...I hope that your experience here will be an informative and enjoyable one.

As for your str8 razors...You may want to check the SRP wiki about some of those razors you purchased on ebay. I may be wrong, but I think that Fromm is one of the brands that the wiki lists as a no-go razor. That is, it is next to impossible to hone it to a sharpness that is acceptable for str8 razor shaving.

With respect o your stones...I am no expert about honing razors or using wetstones. I have my hands full just trying to get a decent lather and stropping my str8 razor raight now. Everything I've read here in the SRP forums recommends lapping a stone and beveling it--even when it is new--before honing.

Take care--and welcome again to SRP.

[Obie]

Hello, Thorshammer:

Welcome to Straight Razor Place, the home of gentlemen shavers. We are delighted to have you here.

The site is packed with information, and we have an army of experts — real experts — that can advise you on any aspect of straight razor shaving.

Take your time learning the art and craft of it, and don't forget that half the pleasure of becoming proficient with the straight razor is the journey.

Regards,

Obie

[onimaru55]

Most new stones are rarely flat but Spyderco UF's are claimed to be flat from the factory so if yours isn't you can claim a new one under warranty. The other 2, don't think they make any claim for.
You picked some tuff stones to lap ... Silicon carbide powders worked well on my mine. Just make sure your glass plate or whatever surface you use is true.