Go ahead and make fun of me lol.....

So I am being sent a Gold Dollar 66. *Covers head as he ducks* Yes I know they supposedly suck, but it is coming anyway. It is honed and in shave ready condition. I know who I got it from so the edge/hone isn't in question. I was told, "When you get it, do not strop. Carefully wipe the oil off taking care not to hit the edge of the edge. If it is too sharp, strop 5 laps no pressure and try again. Repeat as necessary."

What I want to know is:

Where should I get a decent strop?

What videos should I watch as far as actually shaving/stopping/maintenance?

Any help/suggestions would be great. I've never used a straight before.

A properly honed Gold Dollar will shave as well as any other piece of finely honed, carbon hardened steel...

The biggest "problem" with Gold Dollar razors is that they can have some geometry issues, which can make initial bevel setting difficult, and usually results in ugly hone wear. But the shave is great. Nothing wrong with the steel, once you get past geometry issues, IF you have any.

Don't get caught up in the hype over brands. If you take good care of a Gold Dollar it will serve you well.

As for strops...my first strop was part of a trade, but even still you can find it on Amazon for about $25.

https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Qual...azor+strop

It ain't a beauty queen, and I honestly have no idea what the black piece is or what you would use it for. I never used it. But the leather side is a decent piece of leather to strop on. And it's cheap enough you don't have to worry if you nick it.

Better yet...
http://whippeddog.com/products/view/poor-man-strop-kit

The Poor Man's Strop Kit is also about $25, and you will get some Neatsfoot oil, Chromium Oxide, Iron Oxide, a pre-pasted balsa strop, and a 2" leather strop. I used Shoe Goo barge cement to attach the leather strop to a piece of 2X4. Works Great!

The pasted balsa strop is great for touching up your edges between honings, and the 2" leather has very reasonable draw and feel. yes...I prefer my $80 horsehide strop. But for a first strop, you can't beat the poor man's kit...

Cool thanks guys. I will also look for iamsms stupid questions threads.

Cool thanks guys.  I will also look for iamsms stupid questions threads.

Can't be found. Stupid questions don't exist...

They shave well.you can get a good strop at http://shavingshoponline.com/t/straight-...ccessories cheers !

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The one thing to keep in mind when I got my straight it came like your razor - told not to strop. The reason was it was truly ready to shave and inexperienced stropping could have dulled the edge. It was nice to see how a professionally prepared razor was to shave with so you know in the future when the blade will need to be touched up.

I have a couple of vintage razors, and a couple gold dollars, i actually prefer my gold dollars. I did my own honing and they shave nice and smooth.

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I second BadDads suggestion of a Whipped Dog poor mans strop. I have one, along with the balsa strop of his, and both work fine. Nothing to look at but fully functional, which is exactly what you need for your first strop as very likely you will cut it as you earn to strop--very likely.

I like the Gold Dollar razors. They take excellent edges and hold them well. They're not fancy, but they have great potential.

The most likely drawback of one of them is that the stabilizer can get in the way of honing the heel of the razor. It's not a big deal, as almost nobody uses the heel of the razor, but some people like to grind down the stabilizers a bit so that the whole length of the blade can be honed.

I still have one, and use it frequently.

We won't make fun of you. Yes, GDs are cheap. The fit and finish... Leaves a lot to be desired. But! With a good hone, they'll shave just wonderfully. For a beginner they're absolutely awesome. You can practice on them and won't cry if you really screw it up.