Yup. nice and slow, with a sharp razor and good stropping technique.

You're not going to get good shaves for a while, frankly. there are the odd cases, but so far as i can tell first shaves rarely live up toset expectations. it's gonna be rough for a while, but like most you'll se a steady improvement. that's what makes it fun, frankly.

My $.02 as a fellow beginner is to get really acute with the angles. avoid the chin and sides of the neck for now, as well as upper lip. managing angles in those areas is difficult, and there's no sense in agrivating the skin there.

Also, however hard it may be, you should give your face a good break in-between shaves. I realized this early on, as razor burn, weepers, and cuts take longer to heal than they appear. so while your technique may be improving, you skin will still flare up giving you bad feedback on your technique.

You'll get to know your styptic pencil well, and likely dull your razor. just something to forsee.

Also, i might suggest a dovo shavette as a backup. My uncle actually just got me one, as he heard i was shaving with straights. Shave with derby blades is smooth enough, and will always be sharp. You're likely to dull your razor (bad angles, stropping mishaps), and unless you plan on getting into honing (not everyone does), it'd be nice to have a backup.

good luck!

Straight razor shaving -- reclaiming man-time