As some of you might have seen HERE, some really nice chaps sent me a great shaving kit. As the package took 30 days to arrive, I've bough a "El Cheapo" shavette lookalike straight razor (mine uses DE blades) for US$ 3,00 to practice while wainting for the kit.

Some people saind Shavettes are unforgiving with bad techinique. Mine was downright strict (if I got it right it shaved, if wrong, no matter how little, it took a chunk of my flesh to get my attention). On the first day with it I got a HUGE cut on the upper lip (2cm wide x 4mm tall), that taught me something about paying attention to what I was doing.

Fast-foward 30 days: my kit arrives! Today I took the hoffritz for a ride, stroped a bit on newspaper then on the leather strop, applied some warm Taylor of old bond street shaving cream, and voilá, I've got the first BBS shave with a straight razor (just on the sideburns and cheeks, the troat, chin and mustache still have to be worked)!

Two things I've learned today: Real straight razors are much more forgiving of bad techinique, and, when really sharp, give a much more confortable shave than "shavettes".

PS: you've all gotta try stroping on newspaper, it rules!