Thread: I cant take all this information in. Please help!

If you give Straight Razor Designs a call they will give you more honest information about the razors you are interested in than most of us can.

+1 Calling SRD, ask and you will be greatly pleased. As to strop, whatever one you get PRACTICE with a butter knife. It takes months to learn the simple art of correctly using a strop. No sense in cutting it while you learn. And have fun. Welcome!!!

The whipped dog suggestion for the strop is a great idea. You'll get a great "starter" strop as well as a piece of pasted balsa. The pasted balsa should be able to keep your edge in good condition to prolong the need for honing.

I got my first setup from the invisible edge. I bought a kit ($200ish). It came with a dovo razor shave ready, a stainless steel soap bowl (still use), a nice badger hair brush (still use), a strop (the strop is only 1.5 wide, but it will pass as a starter strop), soap, and stypic, and an alum bloc. Great deal in my mind.

As others have mentioned, you can't go wrong with either razor you are looking at...the strop/balsa from whipped dog is a great deal. I'd definitely consider it. Check out the kits from the invisible edge. Steve, the owner, has a great reputation. I got the basic, dovo best quality. I'm sure you can upgrade to one of the Dovo razors that you are considering now in the package.

If I could go back and do it again...I'd get the same kit from invisible edge, but I'd get the strop/balsa from whippeddog.com. $19. The strop is the only thing from the kit I don't like. I'd get a wider strop (3 inches). The 1.5 was difficult to use as a novice because the X pattern was needed to strop.

http://www.dovorazors.com/page32.html

Good luck and happy shaving.