Well, I understand your situation very well. I just received my first razor, a 5/8 Dovo, yesterday. I've been reading up, and watched Lynn Abrams' DVD. His DVD did suggest trying the razor as received , as it may just have a good shaving edge (but not to bet on it). Well, I linen stropped ten times, and then leather stropped 30 times (and put a edge nick in my brand new strop, contact cement here I come ).

After lathering my face, and fumbling around some with methods for grasping the razor to use (Laurel and Hardy would have been proud! ), I managed to try shaving. First, I cheat, I have a 3/4 beard and thin diameter hair, so I didn't have to endure trying a full face shave. The razor pulled some under the sideburn areas, but came out fairly smooth. The under the throat area beneath the beard pulled even more, and did not shave as well. The small area under my lower lip was difficult too. In the end it was not the best shave, but no cuts or real razorburn (I must have got lucky). I have a 4k/8k Norton, and tried this afternoon a first run pyramid sharpening. I hardly did a perfect job honing, but I have hopes that I have sharpened the blade's edge some, without doing too much damage to the razor edge's bevel (oh please, oh please!). Tomorrow, I'll try again.

Having been twenty, some 24 years ago, I understand funding problems (some things never really change). I came to the understanding that taking up shaving with a straight razor would take some money for at least fair quality materials (badger brush, Dovo razor, Norton 4k/8k home, Dovo strop, mug, mug soap, Lynn's DVD) and lots of time. I'm not the best with my hand skills, but part of the fun for me is trying to pull myself up by my own bootstraps. I'll go to the hone meisters if I can't get my razor shaving passably in a reasonable amount of time. Maybe an older, time experienced barber in your area might be able to help you. That option, if available, might be relatively inexpensive and allow you some hands on experience under personal supervision.

Anyway, from one noob to another, good luck, and hang in there.