Hello,

Here are my 2 cents. I bought an Iwasaki from rasurpur and got it about 2 weeks ago. The total transaction took about 2 weeks and Martin was very nice to deal with. The razor came shave-ready, i.e. it passed the HHT and was able to sweep hairs from my arm rather effortlessly. Stropping has been the same as with my other straights, maybe a little easier because of the length of the blade. I found the shave to be challenging yet entertaining. I've read a few posts where the writer noted that it was most difficult to shave the right side of the neck. I can corroborate that. Due to the angles, I lost focus on the pressure. For a while, I was getting razor burn you could see from space. My biggest problem now, though, is the square point. I've only used notched or round pointed razors so I have been fairly regularly puncturing, mostly, my neck trying to get the angles right. The resultant shave, though, is excellent. I haven't tried to hone it yet. But, since I've screwed up every other edge I've tried to hone, I won't feel too bad if I mess this one up at first either. My opinion, if you don't mind the startup costs, financial and physical, I think it's a good investment. I started straight shaving because shaving with a disposable/Mach 3, whatever, was a chore. I find shaving with a straight razor both entertaining and relaxing. The Iwasaki satisfies both those criteria. Hope this helps.