I have not managed to get an adequate shave yet with my striaght, so this morning I went into the Art of Shaving for a lesson. The barber there is a tall man with a beard and shaves with nothing but a straight. He gave me a short 15 minute lesson and has taught me that I was going at this exersize backwards. I have an Illinois strop and was trying to sharpen the blade on the strop. Please, please don't laugh I did not know better. Tomorrow I will go buy myself a hone and get to work. I will need to go in for a second lesson once I have the proper tools on me. I want to use a straight becuase the electric never did an adequate job, cartridge razors made my face look like it had been through a meat grinder, double edges do a great job but can't get under the nose and even out the sieburns. The straight seems to be the only thing that can get all three done peoperly.