Dave,

Welcome to SRP and congratulations on your first post.

The wisdom contained in the previous posts is well worth listening to. However, I wonder...How do you prep your beard before you shave? Do you attempt to soften it in someway--hot shower, hot towel, hair conditioner, a pre-shave cream--or do you simply splash some water on your face, apply some shaving cream and begin shaving? If you're not already prepping your face, try it with your current razor and let us know how things go.

Any of the preceding steps to prepare your beard and face for shaving may somewhat reduce the discomfort you are currently experiencing when you shave.

Take care...