I've been lurking this site for awhile, taking in tips and watching videos, trying to soak in the information and build up courage to take the plunge.

A few days ago I got a razor from SRD and tried shaving a little here and there. Dovo special 6/8 and strop. I began as the site recommended, shaving only WTG and only certain parts of the face.

This morning was the first full face two-pass shave. It was... AWESOME. I've been using a Mach-3 for at least 10 years and today I got a much closer shave with less irritation. I only had one nick on the chin, in a dimple that I can't really stretch out... any advice on that?

Anyway, about halfway into my shave, my girlfriend came in the bathroom and was like, "I can't watch you do this, you're going to chop your head off with that thing."

I'm not gonna lie, shaving the neck is a little nerve-racking, (I have a predominant adam's apple, and my jugular vein has plenty of beard that must come off) but the fact that you have to focus so much is nice. By the time I was finished and slapping toner on my face, I was wide awake and ready for the day. Usually, I was still half asleep when I finished running a dull blade all over my face. I can tell already, I'm hooked.

Thanks to all on this site for the tips, advice, and good humor. I look forward to getting to know you better.

-Jeff