Greetings!

First of all, thank all of you for having such an active and informal community. I have been able to find a lot of information helping me decide on my first purchase. Like so many of you, I recently have been getting more and more frustrated with buying the standard disposable razors in the shops for ghastly amounts of money. So thank you for providing a wonderful source of information for all denizens of the interwebs.

Now, I have made a small shopping list for my first purchase and I was wondering if you could give me the down-low on my selection. My choices are based on reviews, advice and all the other stuff I came across during my search. Please let me know if there is anything in this list you would absolutely advice against.


RoyalShave Beginner 5 Piece Straight Razor Set (found here):
Razor: Dovo Best Quality, Full Hollow, Carbon Steel, 6/8"
Brush: RoyalShave PB2 Best Badger Shaving Brush + RoyalShave Chrome Shaving Brush Stand
Strop: Illinois Razor Strop Co. Cowhide Razor Strop #206 + Dovo Strop Paste

Lather: Kiss my face
Pre-shave: Zihr face wash (non menthol)
After shave: Old Spice Sensitive (non-alcohol)

As for the choice of razor, I read at various places you are better off starting with a 5/8, half hollow as its a more 'balanced' blade. However, other advice I found HERE says that, with some dedicated practice, a full hollow razor should be fine as well.

The lather is said to be a good one for beginners as it is a relative easy lather to apply.
The pre-shave has anti-septic qualities and is Ph-neuteral
The aftershave is non-alcoholic as I have a bit of a sensitive skin (but this could be due to improper shaving and it actually turns out I have a normal skin)

Thank you for taking the time to read my introductory post and thank you for making me a part of the community. If you could give me some indication if I`m on the right track with my selection (and I did my homework correctly) that would be wonderful.

Thank you!

agentCupCake