Hmph, not what I expected, but interesting nonetheless
I purchased a kit from one of the advertisers on this site, and didn't get a chance to try it until today/tonight.
Few items of note.
1) Wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Yeah, I nicked myself a couple times when whacking off the mustache, but it was my own stupidity and getting turned around in the mirror. So that part was easy.
2) I don't know if the place I bought the razor from sharpens them, I assumed so, but it tugged, pulled, ripped, tore, and shredded. I watched that video of I believe Scott? taking off his beard, and it looked like it sliced right through. My Mach3 was way easier, even the clippers were less painful. I had tried the thumbnail test, and the thumb pad test, but since I don't know what I was really looking for, it's hard to say. It seemed sharp, but it was sharp for a kitchen knife, was it sharp for a razor? I don't know...
3) I haven't figure out how to use the styptic pencil I mean, you must do something with it on the wound besides just hold it there, are you supposed to circle it around? Or just dab and hold for a minute or what?
4) Going against the grain was just plain murder. I usually shave against the grain with my Mach 3, but in order to keep from waking the house with my ow's and oh's, I just went wtih the grain.
5) I need to figure out a way to stretch my neck skin straighter and tighter.
6) I chickened out around my ears, because my mirror is too far away to see where the end of the blade is. So that last quarter inch got the mach 3. I'll have to get a telescoping mirror, or something that will let me see better.
7) I managed to nick my strop. Good thing this is just a starter kit. I'll mangle it, then hopefully won't trash the second one.
8) Getting lather was pretty easy in the cup, as long as you really whip that brush around. I looked at the thread with the pictures, but I didn't make anywhere near as much. It felt about the same as shaving creme, and it lasted good, so I feel comfortable there.
9) Switching hands wasn't as hard as I thought. Lots of years of piano training under this belt, maybe that helped.
10) I am not sure how stropping the blade hits the edge. As I look at it, If I pull the strop taut, lay the blade on the strop with the back touching the strop, it almost looks to me like the point isn't really resting on the strop, rather the part right where the "grind" would stop is. Now perhaps when you start pressing down when you strop and the curvature of the strop does the right thing, but I am unsure.
In the video on the site, the stop looked held pretty taut, I may have allowed more slack. Didn't think I was, but a lot to do that first time...
I am nervous about applying the blade to the honing paddle, because if it really is sharp, and I just have unreasonable expectations, I'll probably screw it up more than I will fix it.
Anyway, when all is said and done, it was nice to just take some time and experiment. Did I get a better shave? I don't know. I love my Mach 3 with the little vibrator thing in it. The "down-grain" stroke on my face feels really smooth, but there's still a pretty good resistance to against-the-grain.
Part of my peace of mind will come from determining if the razor really is sharp... If it's sharp, and the yanking/tearing is normal, then I guess my face can just toughen up, or I can go back to the mach...