I've had a few tries now at shaving with a straight, and found it relatively easy. That said, I haven't ventured beyond cheek and neck. The straight seems different in a couple of ways -- it doesn't move with the same ease as my DE, but probably because of the grip difference. It also feels more prone to pull or burn (both very slightly, and not problematically). Is some of that simply the difference in a straight vs. the machined precision of a DE blade? As a longtime DE shaver, I've only got that as a reference! It's hard to know what's about technique, and what's about razor. Though I'm betting it's 90% technique! :)