I finally did it...I got my blade and strop from Tony yesterday afternoon, and had my first straight razor shave this morning (I almost did it yesterday afternoon, but held back so that I could go into work this morning freshly shaven).

I got a very smooth shave - I shaved at about 9am this morning and my 5 o'clock shadow hasn't shown up yet (maybe my watch is broken ).

I only had one tiny nick - I didn't even feel a thing when it happened - I notice the small line of blood, and stopped it with cold water and a Clubman styptic - THAT I felt!

My face has been a slight red color for most of the day and it has been a little tender, but no significant pain to speak of. As a couple of you pointed out, as time goes on my skin should get conditioned a bit, and my shaving technique will improve with practice - all hopefully leading to even closer shaves with less irritation.

I was hooked before I shaved today, and the experience only solidified how I felt before.

Thank you to everyone who has helped with info so far - you guys helped me leap into this without hesitation...I will stick around for a long, long time!

Thanks again!