Newbie here, had posted at length earlier this month but took so long the darn thing timed out and I lost the post. Ah well.
Got given a straight razor as a gift and used it to trim my first real beard. It was so good that I no longer have beard ... put that one down to enthusiasm/inexperience .
Nice to be part of this group, it definitely adds to the quality of life using an open bladed razor, can't explain exactly how.
Now, I just need to figure out how to shave the 'philtrum' properly, thus avoiding a sinister/comic 'tache.