I've been shaving for a couple of weeks now with my straight razor. Now I believe that I am very lucky. My facial hair is not super coarse anywhere besides my chin, which I don't shave(I sport a "chin strap"). Now that I have my technique figured out and after a scalding hot shower I can lather up and go directly to against the grain with minimal(if at all) irritation).

Today I received my samples from The Art of Shaving. Everyone should get some samples because they are free so what's there to lose?

What's the big break through that I mentioned? The pre shave oil! Before, when only using lather, part of my blade would sometimes come to a halt if it came across a dry part of my face. This was kind of annoying. The oil solved this problem. Surprisingly, it also made the whole shave a lot smoother. The blade danced across my face with ease(in part of the shaving oil I'm sure).

If anyone starting out is having problems I highly recommend getting some kind of pre shaving oil, not only does it feel nice on your skin, it also helps to have a super smooth shave.

Happy shaving everyone