Hi nickg and welcome

Keeping a razor sharp is just an acquired skill, like anything else. Of course, it takes time, patience and practice, but once you get the hang of the basics it usually works out fine.

With proper stropping you can go several months before needing to touch up the edge with a hone.

I, and I think most here, strop the razor immediately before every shave.

It can seem a little daunting at first - there's a lot of information here to take in. The best advice I can give is to take it one step at a time. Get a pre-honed shave-ready razor, get a strop, and practice shaving with a straight and stropping properly first. I guarantee that once you get the hang of shaving with a straight, you'll be exceptionally motivated to learn how to sharpen it properly down the track.

Best wishes and good luck.

James.