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Drying of the cream is definitely a problem - and why I now have a G20 Georgetown scuttle. You can also add a little glycerin to the soap/cream (3-5 drops). My Feather is generally sharper than my straights, but I just stay light and do an additional pass or two.
Maintaining a slick skin surface is critical. Also, shavette technique is a little different than a traditional straight. Give yourself time to experiment and you should figure it out fairly quickly.
I should also add... I've learned to dab my brush in hot water occasionally between passes, even in addition to the scuttle, to make sure I have a good, moist lather at all times. If it dries on your face, you're going to get skipping/irritation.
Believe it or not each razor has a different profile or personality, it gets easier over time to come to terms with a new razor. Try to get the right angle for the blade and take it from there, if you did not rip your face apart that is a good sign. AZBranco is right, a nice lather is important, I take my time and put the lather on the pass I am shaving so that it does not dry out. Then again I go over the same spot a couple of times until I feel it is BBS. Remember how you felt when you first used the shavette, at least you have the muscle memory to do a clean pass. Also remember that a str8 will not be as sharp as a production blade so concentrate on a light touch and beard reduction rather than beard removal. Beyond that good luck and stick with it you will get there.
There is a definite angle difference between a shavette an a straight. Try a shallower angle (30 degrees vs 40 degrees) and see how that helps. BTW 30 degrees is roughly two spine widths from the face. Let us know how it goes!
Thanks Guys, A lot of good information here. Ill just keep at it and learn the differences.
Welcome to SRP!
I started with a shavette as well. Canned shaving cream and a straight don't work very well together - I learned that after one shave.
The straight uses a shallower angle (about 2 spine thicknesses off of the skin) and you don't use as much, if any, pressure on the blade while shaving.
I used preshave oil for the first couple of straight shaves to prevent razor burn while I learned the correct angle, but stopped using it after that for the most part.
If your lather is drying out, try just lathering a part of your face at a time. As you get better it won't take as long to shave and you can then lather your whole face.
Make sure you check out the beginner's section in the Library. It has a lot of information and videos about how to use a straight.