I recently purchased the Ralf Aust 5/8 strop combo from SRD. I'm now four shaves in and so far No problems with the sideburns or cheeks. I'm sure I'll have the neck figured out soon. Although I can no longer claim no nicks because I drew first blood this morning.

The problem I'm running into though, and I'm sure I'm not the first nor am I the last, is the chin and upper/lower lip. I tend to snag it on those coarser hairs and feel like I'll cut myself if I try to go harder. I'm used to my Merkur 34C which weighs a lot and gravity does all the work for me. I also know it's not the blade since it's only had two shaves and I bought it from Lynn already honed. So it's gotta be my technique. Anyone else have this issue and if so how did you overcome it? Do I need to find a heavier blade or one that isn't a full hollow? Perhaps there's something out there thinner than a 5/8 that would work better? Also my soap seems to dry out by the time I get there and I don't have the benefit of my sopping wet Merkur to keep everything moist. Is lathering as I go an answer? Or am I just shaving too slow. Thanks!