Dont feel to bad, your not alone and I for one done the same thing you did. My strop looked like a cat used it for a scrathing post. I dropped my razor twice and bent the tip of it and put a nic in it. My 12 dollar tweezerman brush looked like it had the mange the first time I used it. The shaving cream I ordered smelled like dirt. I cut my face in two places. I thought my gosh what have I got myself into? Later on after things started falling into place I bought a new replacement strop and worked the dent out of my razor, ordered a nicer brush and now I have no desire to go back to using those mach razors. Shaving is just like riding a bike for the first time. Expect a few wrecks and cuts and bruises. Good Luck!!!