Well guys,i've been wanting to start str8 shaving for a long time now, and my g/f got me the whole set up for this last x-mas, strop,badger, 5/8 dovo astrale (with initials ) and some certificates for the AOS. After getting over a split chin from falling during the snow storm we had in Seattle this year i finally got to start my shaving. The time i had before starting gave me ample time to research my new hobbie, and so when i went into AOS for my royal shave (also part of my gift) I was ready to soak up everything and ask some questions so i would have a baseline to start off for myself, the barber was knowledgeable and nice and gave me some pointers, it was not as smooth as i would of thought, but i would probably attribute that to my skin never feeling a str8 and the disposable the have to use in the shop. So after that i started myself and now im 4 shaves in and here are some of my questions...

1. Neck hair... i got it and it grows in all directions, My passes WTG are going well, but when i try XTG or ATG its very uncomfortable, do i need to knock the hair down to a very low profile before making these passes, or does it have to do with the sharpness of my razor>? i brought my dovo to AOS with me and had the Barber look at it, he told me it was "shave Ready " and i took his word, but im not so sure.

2. Is it recommended to add glycerin to my lather ? im using AOS unsencted puck and havent added anything yet... if so where should i buy Glycerin ?

3. Im stropping 40x's fabric 60x's leather for prep but mosly for practice... think im getting the hang of it , but somtimes i notice a very small (almost sandgrain size) piece of leather on my blade, its always in the same spot... does this signify a burr in the blade ?

4. the dreaded chin area ... but this might just be practice ?

thanks in advance for your advice, this site is amazing and has really helped me so far.

Tony