I've been lurking here for about 3 weeks and have learned a lot.

Today was my 1st attempt at str8 shaving. Right after a hot shower I whipped up some lather from some cream I bought on ebay from shamrockshaving. I used a John Blyde 11/16 Sheffield straight razor, sold as shave-ready.

I started with the sideburn WTG pass that I've read about for newbies. I felt a lot of pulling as the razor didn't cut as well as I expected it to. I was mindful not to press too hard but I still managed to nick myself in a few places, probably due to an incorrect angle of the blade. Finally, I finished up with the WalMart triple bladed "compare to Schick" razor that I've been using in the shower for some time now.

I know that this is an acquired skill that takes time to learn. I'm prepared to spend the time needed to get this right, but I was surprised at how difficult the WTG pass was, what with the pulling and all. I now realize that I wasn't stretching my skin as I probably should have, but what other advise can you all give me on this?