Thread: Hello from the US!

Hello all!

Newbie here, started out with a disposable 2-blade, moved up to a Mach 3, then down to an electric and nowadays I just switch between that and disposable, what with the price of blades. Thinking of switching, but need some advice. Looking at a hollow-ground 5/8 Bengall Imperial vs a 4/8 H Boker & Co. (extra hollow ground) right now. Sounds like the 5/8 might be best for a beginner, and it's $20 cheaper at $45 dollars. Any advice from the vets? Guess I'll be needing to buy a strop as well...perhaps I'll just use an old leather belt?

You simply MUST start your experience with a shave ready razor. Check the classifieds here. Without a shave ready razor, you're starting on the same journey you can read about in this section every day. If you don't start with a shave ready razor, you are introducing doubt into a process that is going to be difficult any way you go. Make the beginning easy on yourself by starting with something that you know will cut whiskers. The brand of the razor doesn't matter. Its shave readiness does.

Yes, definitely going to do that, albeit from a local shop around here. All the razors they sell are advertised as honed, stroped, polished, and shave ready. They also sharpen and repair razors there, so it sounds like they're pretty reliable. Thanks for the advice! Any other input on one vs the other would be much appreciated!