and there has been progress :-)

I'm now able to strop much more quickly, and I am starting to hear a slightly more prounounced rasping noise from the leather side, which I take to mean that the edge is deteriorating. I haven't noticed any drop in shaving performance, however.

I'm able to make better lather than I used to, but it still dries out a little more quickly than I would like. The brush alone does not hold enough water, and figuring out the correct additional amount to add is taking time. I also seem to remember someone saying that the William's soap takes a lot of water, so I shall continue to experiment.

The only place I was consistently irritating was the little hollow to the left of my windpipe, and I've managed to stop doing that. I'm pretty sure I was simply using too much pressure. The biggest problem I've had isn't switching hands, but switching eyes - my right eye is extremely dominant (probably from shooting), and that makes it harder to do the the left side of my neck. Feeling brave, I decided to try a third pass yesterday, and the E-W pass on the left side of my neck improved that area a lot. Still some room for improvement, of course.

Managed to nick myself once near my right cheekbone (inattention, I expect), but no blood.

Using the kettle for hot water instead of the tap is much more pleasant.

I'm quite happy with my progress, and still having fun, although the shave is close enough that I can only practice every other day.