hey guys! my names jack, 18 from boston MA. shaving was always a chore for me, then about a month and a half ago i decided to invest a bit of cash into a basic straight razor kit and man was i not disappointed. Ive been taking it slow and steady, so far ive avoided any major catastrophes albeit a few minor nicks that i cleaned up with a styptic pencil.
at the moment, my routine is to plop my brush into a mug of hot water, climb in the shower, towel off, then strop. from there i lather up (still learning the perfect amount of water vs soap) and do one pass with the grain, one against, and then i switch to my gillete fusion for one last against the grain pass (im still not good enough for a baby's ass finish, hopefully ill be there soon though and can eliminate the cartridge razor). i was wondering if anyone has some general tips for this beginner and also more specifically, some recomendations on honing methods. thanks and have a good one!

-jack granger