Ragamuffin-Shaving with a straight is loads of fun after you get past the initial scary/nervous part. What I did when I first started a couple of years ago was to shave all I could, as close as I could without too much razor burn, and then clean up with a DE. I soon got to the point where I didn't need as much cleanup with the DE, and soon not at all.

And yeah, a well-executed str8 shave is by far the closest shave you can get. I'm sure many wives and girlfriends of SRP members would attest to that. Take the plunge-you'll be glad you did!