Another newcomer here. I'm only a few weeks into this, and travel almost constantly so i haven't been able to try straight razor shaving everyday (i may eventually put together a convenient setup to take on the road with me but so far i only use my straight razor at home). My first few tries were nothing to write home about, but at least i had taken the major step of making that first slice down my face with something that is otherwise portrayed as a murder weapon in pop culture. Anyway I had the same problems you mention plus a few, but yesterday i finally got a good shave, and didn't have to use a disposable to get difficult areas. What i did was to let my stubble grow for several days, i think about 5. I realize some of you gentlemen must be clean shaven every work day, but this wasn't a problem this past week for me. Anyway, letting my skin go a few days without being scraped with a razor made a big difference, and i had almost no irritation after my shave. This was a good feeling for me, and i felt the occasion deserved a Guinness . Practice played a part i'm sure, as angle and technique have been slowly improving, but i think letting your skin rest a few days might be a good way to sort of 'reset' it for a different shaving method. Just an idea, good luck all!