IT took me a few weeks to do my entire face with the straight. Up until then I was finishing my chin and mustache with a DE as well as a complete second pass. I gradually improved my technique and got a couple of truly shave ready razors and was able to put the DE away. I have been doing a two pass shave solely with the straight for the last few weeks. Watching Lynn's DVD a few times and practicing honing & stropping a lot also helped. Living close enough to a forum member with a few years experience also was greatly beneficial for me. His coaching on honing, stropping and lathering has been a great help. I am still a bit awkward with manipulating the blade in one direction or another but it is getting better day by day as I gain more experience. Practice makes perfect I guess.