it's all about the lather!!!

After reading the countless forum dicussions on shaving and lathering, I finally patched together a home-made version of a scuttle to see if it would make a difference.
I poured near-boiled water into a bowl, and then place a mug into it filled with hot water. After soaking the brush in the mug I spilled the water out of the mug and let the mug sit in the bowl (still filled with near-boiled water). I lathered up the brush well and kept it in the mug during the whole time I was shaving.
WOW!!!
The razor I thought needed a little more honing gave me such a fantastic shave; keeping the lather nice and warm made a huge difference. I shaved in almost half the time because I did not need to go over the same parts over and over. After this great shave I bought a scuttle to make things easier for myself.
The one thing I can impart to the other newbies from this is it takes more than just a shave-ready straight and a strop to give you a fantastic shave.
Diego

Well its all about prep, a sharp razor, and a good technique. If any one of those three are off the other won't make up for it. If all three are in play, you get a great shave.

Great advice, Diego. I use a tall bowl to lather in and set it in the sink of hot water while shaving, essentially creating a scuttle, too. Keeps the lather hot and the shaves smooth! Cheap alternative for those considering a scuttle. Good job :)