I came to this site seeking information on natural japanese wetstones, my intent being to use them on woodworking tools. You gave me some great advice: thanks! Having lurked around a bit, I've now got the bug to try straight razor shaving.

But I there is one thing that, looking from the outside, gives me the heeby jeebies: that folding handle. I have this picture in my mind of fat fumble fingering my way into an early grave with the whole folding handle business. I'm sure much of this comes from a couple of both literally and figuratively traumatic childhood experiences with Case pocket knives. Now I carry only locking or fixed blades.

This got me looking at the nice, less threatening, fixed blade japanese razors. So I'll ask this question. As a complete noob, is there any argument for or against starting with a japanese razor? I've read here that western users have trouble adapting to the japanese blade. Is this sort of like the pull-saw versus push-saw thing where it doesn't matter how you start out, the switch is what's uncomfortable? Or does one have a steeper learning curve?

I've read about people having difficulty with the sharp corner on both Japanese and some western blades. Does this corner actually DO anything? Or is it like the sharp corner on handplane blades that many woodworkers simply round off?

Last question. I've got a fat fleshy face: are there special considerations not present with you young and squared jawed types?