I'm curious as to how many of the straight razor shavers here started out with a DE, and if so, whether or not you think it helped you to prepare for ultimately moving to the straight (technique, etc.). Is it more forgiving, or did it possibly help due to removing one of the big variables (knowing that you have a sharp, ready-to-go blade?) Also, I'm curious as to whether or not you solely shave with a straight now, or still use a DE from time to time.

I realize this is a straight razor forum and I am still very much interested in learning to shave with a straight, but I'm also wondering if DE shaving is a good stepping stone for some folks instead of simply going from Mach 3/Fusion -> directly to a straight. Again, no offense intended to the straight razor gods! Just looking to hear about your experiences on the road to shaving with a straight.