I still consider myself quite a newbie, though I've been using a straight now for around six months. I used to struggle with razor burn when I began too, but found that my technique really just needed a little time to settle in. Try keeping the blade nearly completely flat to the face on any against the grain passes. This helped me get over many of my comfort problems. I find that too large a blade angle is more likely to take some skin with the pass than one that's a bit more shallow (read flat). Just don't worry too much. The more shaves you get under your belt, the better your technique will start to naturally fall into place.