Hi SRP fellows,

I've been wet shaving for about 7 years now, since I was 20 or so. I've had a lot more success with my Merkur DE, TOBS soap and badger brush than previously with Mach 3s and *gasp* electrics. I figure it's time to move up to a straight, something I've wanted to do for a while, but one of my buddies (member Aeon on SRP) raving about the straight razor experience pushed me into committing.

Thanks to numerous threads here, I contacted Larry at Whipped Dog, and am awaiting a Crown & Sword 1720 and poor man's strop kit. Thanks to my love of ducks (the animal) I just snagged a DD Goldedge on eBay. Seemed pretty much immaculate, and the seller says it'll be honed and stropped before it gets to me. This was about 3x what Larry's C&S razor cost, but about half of what most BIN good condition Goldedges go for. I figure I'm in this for the long haul, so might as well seize an opportunity if it presents itself!

So here I am, waiting for what I gather are two excellent razors to show up in the mail. I was just wondering, what's the biggest thing to keep in mind shifting from a DE? I'm good on beard prep, lather, and all that, and I already know generally how to go with and against and across the grain. I'm planning, as Lynn recommends, to start with a bit of the face only and slowly increase with each shave.