first post too!

I just received my first straight razor in the mail - a vintage Genko purchased from yfra8821 off Ebay for $13 which he honed for me for another $10 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...view=all&tid=0

He's probably a member here, but I've no idea what his username is - super helpful guy, and as far as I can tell, this razor is truly shave ready.

Anyhow - I had two days worth of stubble, and dove into my bathroom, razor in hand. No stropping, just whipped up a quick lather with some of my wife's fancy bar soap. (i've got some clay and proper shaving soap making supplies coming in the mail any day now)

I started with great apprehension after reading much instruction here and from other sources, but my fears were in vain.

I have no idea which beard types are easier than others to shave, but I have a very coarse beard - think "wire" - makes an excellent scratching "post".

I did a first pass with the grain - no problems - not a single nick - my chin and mustache were a bit weird/awkward, but I figured it out.

I got ****y and did a second pass against the grain - also no problems and not a single nick. The mustache and chin areas felt very "sketchy" and I really thought I was going to cut myself, but I didn't.

The shave is not quite baby-bottom smooth just under my chin, but everywhere else it's very smooth. My face does feel a bit "raw" but I think that's because my strokes were short so I went over the same area more than normal. With more confident longer strokes, I think this "rawness" will vanish.

Anyhow I just wanted to thank you guys for being here, and providing all this information. I read the wiki first shave article which really helped illustrate proper blade angle.

I also wanted to post this here to show nubs like myself that this can be started pretty easily, without cuts, and minimal expense.

Start up costs:
$13 for a vintage razor
$10 to hone it
$5 for a piece of balsa for a strop (I'm vegan - so no leather for me) which I glued to a piece of bamboo flooring I had laying around - shaved some of a green mibro chromium oxide buffing paste I got at lowes ages ago - mixed it with some alcohol and painted it on (got this tip from here I think)
$10 for 2 pounds of soap base
$10 for 2 pounds of benotine (sp?) clay to make my own shaving soap
$8 for a high quality synthetic knot off ebay which I glued into a wooden knob I made
$1 for a tiny flower pot I'm using as a shaving bowl

so $57 total, but I'm also hooked up for at least a year's worth of shaving soap

I plan on getting a 4k/8k norton hone in about 3 or 4 months which are quite pricey, but who cares? - no more shaving cream or disposable razors.

So nubs dive in - it's nothing to be anxious about.