Hi there! You've already saved me hours of frustration...
My name is Matt Tully (AKA tullster). Waiting for my "newbie kit" to come in the mail that I just purchased from Doughboy68 in the classifieds. I had already purchased a GB Buckingham & sons razor that morning for $45 from vintagestraightrazor.com, and then found this site. After searching for just a few minutes, I found the horrible reviews I should have searched for before purchasing. At least I was able to cacel my order, and their customer service was at least good (if not their razors). Doughboy68, on the other hand, was selling a paddle strop, soap and a Wade & Butcher 11/16 shave ready for only $5 bucks more. I quickly snapped it up, and I'm waiting with bated breath for my package to arrive.
I've been "shaving like my dad" with a long handle Merkur butterfly razor for the last year and a half, and I've recently had a hankering to start "shaving like my grandpa". Call me crazy, but I've always been a fan of rituals, and straight razor shaving looks like it'll be right up my alley. Not to mention that I'm really looking forward to seeing how much smoother I can shave myself with the straight.
Looking forward to reading much more about stropping and honing, and all things to do with this artform. Thanks for having this open community to come for information and advice.
Matt