Listen to Mike and the others, they know what they're talking about!

1. Send 2 off to Mike and take him up on his kind offer. He sold me a honed and stropped one, and there is NO substitute for a razor honed and stropped by an experienced person.

2. Get that video by Lynn!

3. Keep shaving, slow down, take it easy...and realize that learning a whole new shaving technique takes time. If it hurts, stop. Take a deep breath, re-lather, and then start again, slower and easier. The razor should glide EASILY over your skin. Do not press hard!

4. Try to spring for some really good shave soap, like from thegentlemansquarters.com or bear-haven.com. Yes, I know, you're on a budget, but those soaps contain glycerin and other wonderful ingredients that make the razor glide over your skin instead of plowing into it and cutting you.