(Greetings to all here from Wales!)

Thought I should stop lurking & start posting

Had STR8 shave #4 yesterday, the closest yet. I'm down to under an hour for the whole job too!! The first did involve removing a month old beard though... There have been nicks, but no major blood loss I'm going for the whole face from go cos I figure I'll learn quicker. Oh & my beard doesn't really grow much past goatee The cheeks could best be descibed as scrubby.
I'm getting closer & closer each time & have the smoothness of the couple of Trumper shaves I've had to aim for. I'm staying WTG & single pass for now. The underside of the chin causes much cursing & most of the nickage.

I'm using a fairly low budget range at the mo. Razor was a present with a strop off eBay I'll post a pic when I can work out how It's 5/8 & fairly hollow ground with black plastic scale. Ran it over my Grandpa's oilstone a few time & stropped furiously. Edge seems, well shall we say usable, just. Brush is a Men-U bristle & does the job. I'd forgotten the pleasures of the brush in my years of Mock3 slavery. It'll be even better when I get some decent soap. I'm currently using Prince cream from Lush www.lush.com It's good cream but doesn't lather well & had to use a huge amount. I've gone through 1/2 a pot of their Cosmetic Lad balm too

I'm looking to improve all the above as I can afford it & will ask endless questions before I do. First up & in the post right now is some orange & clove fullers earth shaving soap from Baldwins http://www.baldwins.co.uk/Natural-So...-Soap/6845/505

Next up will be a decent strop & some paste for the old strop. Then a good razor. Seems to be a choice of Dove or Thiers Issard. Like the look of the Wheat TI
Suggestions will be gratefully received. Budget is about UK£100 ($200)

Cheers & seee ya on the boards

Spike