I'm so grateful for all the amazing advice I'm getting on here.
i just completed my sixth shave and did my whole face. It's so true that if you shave a little at a time you get better by increments as you start to really know your face.
i only had one little nick at the corner of my mouth, which is proving to be a challenging area for me, no razor burn this time and the 'acid test' of rubbing the alum block over the shaved area didn't show up any areas of discomfort.
To be honest it's not the closest shave I've ever had, but so far it's the most pleasurable. I'll work on getting closer once I've become more confident with the one pass shave.
The feeling of satisfaction after putting on the after shave barm is sublime and I can see and feel why straight shaving is such a satisfying experience, just wish I'd started years ago!
so my best bit of advice to fellow newbies is to take heed of the advice from the more experienced guys here, they know what they are talking about.
Now I'm waiting for my whiskers to grow so I can do it all again.