I've only been shaving with a straight for a few weeks, but hopefully what just helped me will help someone else.

For Colleen's Father's Day sale, I ordered soap samplers, a bowl, and a badger brush. Today I used them for the first time, with an ebay razor I cleaned and honed myself.

What a difference it makes to have a decent brush and good soap! The lather was great and applied so well. It's not even comparable with the mess I was making with William's and a cheap boar brush. A great lather made my shave so much better, even though I was using a razor that isn't as good as a hone meister probably could make it.

So, if I could give a newbie on a budget advice, invest in a decent brush. It makes all the difference.