I'm a newbie to the whole straight razor shaving and I'm open to all pointers. I have looked up several shaving videos and have read several forum posts about shaving (So I'm confident I can pull it off). Please feel free to give me any suggestions and preparation hints you have and I will take note to prevent my first cut-throat razor from fulfilling its infamous name!

Things I'm not too sure about are:
Aftershaves
Correct preparation of the face before shaving
Strope use and maintenance (This is probably my weakest point)


Thanks for your time and I am eager to begin! My kit should be here in no time!