Hey everyone, my names Ty and I'm a 23 year old from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. After many many months of doing research into the matter and deciding on what I would get, I finally broke down and ordered everything I will need to keep me shaving, honing, stropping, maintaining, etc. for a long time to come.
I just got the package today (it took less than a day shipping from ontario to alberta with purolator express!) from Fendrihan.com (I know there are lots of great sites out there, but I chose to support a canadian company and am COMPLETELY pleased with the service I got, would highly recommend them to anyone) containing all my goodies. Going to have my first shave tonight doing a full prep and I'm really excited about it. I wish I could head home right now and shave, which, I can honestly say, is the first time in my life I have EVER felt that way hahah.
Against what almost all of the "guides for newbies" say, I decided to get a nicer razor for my first one. In my mind, sure, I may "ruin" it through not being that skilled with honing/stropping (though, I have read that a master honer could get just about any razor back to it's prime condition, it would take some serious damage to make it completely useless). However, even if I could never use it again and it was complete garbage after me using it, It's my first straight razor. It means something to me. All that being said, I have been around knives and have sharpened knives occasionally since I was a kid, so I don't think I could ever get it THAT bad, just gotta be patient and take my time until I learn the ropes of it.
I ended up getting a Thiers Issard Celebration Silver Wing, with Ram's Horn scales and a 5/8" French Point full hollow ground singing blade. Yea, the $400 canadian is a bold leap into uncharted territory, but it's one I was completely willing to make.
I'll let you all know how it all went after my shave tonight!