Ok, I've thrown away my gillette fusion so I can work solely with the straight. Although that was rash, I suppose that I'll get to know my blade better, sooner.
Anyway, I just have a few questions.

I'm stropping with an old belt at the moment, until I reconfirm my paypal so as I can buy a strop, but it's a slim one. My razor's blade is much wider than it, so how can I strop it evenly? If I were to slide it slightly so the whole thing is covered in one stroke, might that not damage the razor (and less importantly, the belt)? On the other hand, if I stropped the razor half the width at a time, might I end up with an over-stropped middleground where the razor is stropped in the sessions of both halves?

On lather and the brush, I was wondering how you apply it. Often I use spirals and that way I get a thicker lather, but does that damage the brush at all? In youtube vids I've seen mainly people have lather already prepared and apply it using simple strokes that bear more similarity to the strokes of a painter. Do you wash your brush inbetween the relatherings of the three shaves (WTG, XTG, ATG)?

Finally about cologne. Why is cologne so particular to shaving? I like perfumes, but the only difference between cologne, eau de toilette, eau de parfum, and parfum is the concentration of the scent. At least, that's the only difference I'm aware of.

Anyway yeah. Sorry about the incessant questions.

Cheers :-)