When I first tried straight shaving my face looked like it had been in a cat fight - plus I got an uneven result. It doesn't take that long, though, before it all comes together. You might want to try a Feather razor with the disposable blade. You will learn to work with soft touch and a smooth action, and you can concentrate on shaving instead of razor care. And I promise you, you can get a much better shave with the Feather than a DE. One more thing, try a pre-shave lubricant. I tried oils, but I found they messed up my soap and were hard to clean up. Now I use Astroglide, a "personal lubricant" which is, I believe, mostly glycerine of some kind and is slippery as can be and will wash off easily. Good luck.