My experience as a beginner, which is probably not uncommon, was that I was immediately afflicted with several of the acquisition disorders. I had new razors arriving every couple of days. Naturally I wanted to shave with each new razor. As a result I was not becoming familiar and comfortable with any given razor. At some point I decided to pick a razor and shave with only that razor for awhile. My technique began to improve much more rapidly. As I thought about this it made sense to me that of course the more variables in the equation the more complex it is. For a newbie, constantly experimenting with different razors, soaps, creams, strops, etc. can make it difficult to analyze results, and improve performance. My suggestion is to get a shave ready razor from a credible source (such as SRD, one of the senior members with a shave ready razor in the classifieds here, Bob Keyes, etc.) This eliminates one of the biggest concerns most beginners seem to have which is: “is this razor sharp enough?” Then use only that razor and a consistent process (this assumes basic competency in prep, stropping etc) and stick with it for at least a week. As you follow this regime you will likely find that you quickly become more comfortable with the razor you are using, this will help you focus more on your technique and your results will improve. This will allow you to establish a performance baseline. Now if you alter one variable at a time in your process you will have a better understanding of its impact on your results. I hope this is helpful.