Good evening chaps. I have finally gotten around to registering and posting my first comments. I am no stranger to the shave forums. I have been hanging around at one or another for nearly six years. Mostly over at B&B under the same handle. Thank you for the chance to join the forum and for sharing a vast amount of great knowledge with the shaving world. I am amazed(or should I say NOT amazed?) at the fountain of information here. I have only recently taken up the straight but I suspect it will not be a passing thing. I truly enjoy it. Yes, the first couple of weeks were...challenging. I am slowly getting the hang of things and even dared to touch up the razor with a Carborundum barber's hone. The wife bought me the hone a long time ago and then she pops up with a strop just a few weeks ago. I have to keep her, right? You bet. As with most newbs, the mustache and chin area are the biggest issue spots. Particularly the upper lip. No matter what I do, I cannot get it clean. I simply wind up with a dose of razor rash. I have used the razor for about five weeks and hardly nick myself at all anymore. While I certainly won't try to offer some sort of sage advice for other newbs, I do feel it is appropriate to pass along the biggest discovery I have made so far. Don' fear the reap...uhm, the straight razor. i was so concerned about the tip of the danged thing I would cut myself with other parts of the blade. Don't fear it. Just respect it as a somewhat unforgiving teacher. The other thing I quickly learned is that these old hands with the straight are dead on about just giving it time. Within two weeks I could not imagine ever giving up on straight razors. I am certainly not getting as clean a shave as I was with the DE but again, time and patience is in order. The biggest factor for me is having no reference as to what is 'shaving sharp'. I do think my 5/8" near wedge is probably due for some honing or at least some pasted strop work. Okay, enough prattling on. Again, thanks for the forum and the chance to participate.

Regards, Todd