My new razor arrived yesterday morning.

I've been using a shavette with simple Wilkinson Sword flat blades since I was 19. I never really rated the hacking action of disposable blades and couldn't stomach the price - I'm originally from North Yorkshire and have lived Scotland for the last 10 years! It took a while to learn, but I've generally been happy with the quality of the shave and have found it to be a very satisfying experience.

This month (now aged 27), I decided to go the whole hog and upgrade to a Dovo Schlossburg. Using all the same stuff as I did with the shavette (Kent pure badger brush, Proraso white tub soap, alum block, Nivea balm) I acheived a reasonable result this morning. I did remain a little rough and tender beneath the jaw line and there was a little pulling at points. I assume this will improve over time? The width of the blade took a little getting used to and it does feel heavier than the shavette. I hated the square corner on the Wilkinson blade and was glad I'd bought a round cornered Dovo.

Stropping is new to me. How long will it take to get comfortable and quick at it? I bought a relatively inexpensive tensioned paddle strop. The width of the strop is approximately half that of the blade - should I use a diagonal stroke, or do each half seperately? If the strop is short, does that mean that I will need to use more strokes to keep the balde sharp enough? I don't yet own a honing stone and don't know of any business in Edinburgh who can do any honing for me. Will I need one? How often would I need to use one? Could I use the same stone for kitchen knives, or is that a totally different thing?

Thanks in advance,
James