I agree with the previous posts...Although I have yet to shave with a straight razor--that will occur after Xmas--from everything I have read on the SRP blogs and the world wide web there is a definite learning curve to this experience.

I have been a wet shaver my entire life. I used multi-blade razors up until this fall. Yet even when I shifted to a DE razor a month or two ago I found that there was even a learning curve for me with a DE razor. My first shaves with a DE were nothing compared with what they look and feel like now. That having been said, there are days when I feel like I haven't gotten the best shave that I could with my DE. That doesn't discourage me because I know that there is always the opportunity to achieve a better, closer shave tomorrow.

The same is true of straight razor shaving, but it appears to me that there are some additional steps involved in gaining mastery of and confidence in your process, ie. honing, stropping, blade angle, etc. Don't expect to master all of these steps at once or achieve a perfect shave overnight. Be satisfied with what you have achieved to date--with the knowledge that you are gaining in an understanding of your face and shaving technique that will allow you to achieve a better shave in the future.

Remember, patience is a virtue.