Hello all. Larry here in Rochester, NY. I'm new to straight razor shaving. I'm over 50 and finally decided to take the plunge after switching to DE razor and enjoying the prep and shave experience. Just got sick and tired of the multi razor thing along with the expense of replacing the blades. I've been looking at a DOVO Red Bone razor on ebay (I guess I just like the way it looks) as my first razor. I'm certain I will need to send it to someone like Lynn Abrams to be sharpened. I'll purchase the other gear to get started from either Vintageblades or Classicshaving. I was leaning heavily towards the DOVO Bismark but several threads suggest the gold wash may have a robustness issue. I just don't want to fight that problem. I'm looking forward to having an enjoyable experience. Glad to be aboard.