Wow thanks alot for the replies. You guys are truly family. Well, I'm going to try it again today (didnt shave at all yesterday) and going to strop it 50 times as mentioned above. Honestly, I never stropped more than about 10-15 times before each time and maybe I needed to do alot more. Also havent used the linen side either. Its definitely my angle and technique. It could also be the razor itself as some just dont work for others. The only option is just to stick with this one and if it doesnt work out, try another one, maybe another grind, an SS type, etc. Thanks again for all the posts. VERY informative.