If you could start all over again, what would you do differently?
I recently revisited one of my very first razors, and it made me re-think how I got to where I am today WRT straight shaving - and whether I could have sped up the learning process.
My initial setup consisted of a Wacker 4/8 full hollow Bartmann, a Mühle best badger brush, a Dovo 2" cheapo strop, Castle Forbes "Cedar Sandalwood" cream and aftershave, and an alum block. I quickly added a Wacker 4/8 1/4 hollow Molitor and CF's "The Pre Shave". I also took a three hour shaving class. And, of course, the razors were very much shave ready.
Was I getting super duper BBS shaves? Ummmm, no. Not at all. Did I blame the razors? Oh, yes. After all, I had a perfect kit, and received a shaving class! But I hung in there. Quickly added a vast-ish array of hones (it was Joe Chandler's full Norton setup, so it was supposed to turn me into a honemeister instantly, right?) and razors from the Classifieds. And the most useles investment to far, a Dremel. Shaves getting better? Slowly but surely, yes.
Added a Simpson brush (also a mis-investment, as a Thäter would have provided infinetely better value for money, but everyone was crazy about Simspons...). Minor improvement, but certainly not worth the money.
More razors. Everyone said W&B razors were the bomb. Bought four. Instantly re-sold or traded 3. One is still in my possession, but will end up in the Classifieds at some point in the not too distant future (sorry, Brad, those scales are gorgeous but the razor is not). Got a Timor 7/8 that Lynn said had been a pain to hone - and it quickly followed the W&Bs. Some TIs, also not my style (except the 1/4 hollow Grelot, that I traded a year later).
More hones. This time an Escher (I hope Artan is still enjoying it), and a Coticule (when Bart used it, it worked - which is a shame, because I would still like to blame the tool). Shaves getting better? One year in, I was consistently getting decent shaves, with the ocasional good one interspersed.
More strops. The Old Traditional by The Different Scent brought a massive improvement. If I could start over, I would steer clear of small strops. Thankfully, the guys at TDS re-examined my stropping technique and politely told me that it was the worst they had ever seen. Better shaves ensued.
Started sampling creams, soaps, aftershaves (and spend a fortune on perfumes for the wife to keep her happy while I was digging through stuff at TDS). Realised that nothing (except, as I found out later, Caraceni) beats CF. Lesson learnt: the guys at TDS were spot on when they recommended I get a cheaper brush but more software. CF is, in my view, the ideal entry level cream, as it outperforms all other creams, is much easier to use than soap, and will save a beginner a lot of trouble.
Shaves getting better? Yes, but the improvement curve was getting shallower at an alarming rate.
More razors! Traded the Wackers and all other 3 and 4/8 blades for wedges. Paul even threw in a TM Vegan. I am still afraid he got the worse end of the deal, as the traded included two absolutely fantastic razors that are still in my rotation (Sellers and Rodgers 5/8). Some target killings (Deutsch "Hans Otto", Hess "99" 6/8, Dovo "Bergischer Löwe"). Shaves improving, but still far from perfect. Consistently good results with the occasional BBS-ish one.
More strops. SRD Premium I? Why not! Premium IV? Absolutely! Visit from Bart. Honing lessons (picture pearls and swine, and you'll get the true image). Severe chastising for still sub par stropping technique. Things have not been the same since. If you are a beginner who is only marginally interested in honing, forget honing. Get an SRD modular paddle, and use this to maintain the edge. Or a barber hone, if you must. Personally, I wish I had got the paddle much, much earlier. Joe's Nortons will go down W&B lane, too. I'll keep the Coticule, knowing that it might not be coonsidered the ultimate tool, but it has a high sentimental value (and the slurry stone Bart kindly gave me also helped - visit Welcome to Coticule.be if you're interested in some Twilight Zone Coticule honing techniques).
More razors. 7 and 8/8 ones this time. Definitely not beginner material. If I could start all over, I would get two Dovo "Best Quality" 6/8s round points from SRD in different grinds. Best value for money, and more reliably honed than some razors that have appeared in the Classifieds lately.
I am now getting consistent BBS shaves, and life is good.
So, long story short: 2 Dovo BQ, an SRD 3" strop or the modular paddle, CF full line, and a Thäter brush. And a bloody thorough read of the Wiki. It was not there when I started, and that certainly did not help.
Happy shaving
Robin