Gentlemen,

I'm a newbie trying to get things sorted out for my first order. One pressing question: Can a pasted strop replace a wetstone? I have been looking specifically at Tony Miller's 4-sided pasted strop (3,1,.5, .25 microns) vs. a Norton 4000/8000 wetstone. Would the strop be enough for regular sharpening upkeep or is the stone a better investment? I think either way I will also invest in one of Tony's hanging strops as a pre-shave instrument.

The pasted strop is especially enticing as Tony offers a package that includes a hand honed razor, a hanging strop, the paddle strop and some extras, I'm just wondering if that will hold me through my "beginning stages" and continue to be useful beyond them?!

Any other suggestions?

Best, Witold.