Welcome to SRP. If you hated shaving because of how much time it took with a cartridge then I got some sad news for you...you'll probably love how much time it takes to shave with a straight razor. It's total "me-time" not to be rushed, but to be enjoyed. It does take some time and patience on your part to learn the proper techinques involved (pressure, angle, skin-stretching, stropping, lather making, etc). Some pick up the skills quickly, some do not and either persevere or give up. Stick with it and you'll wish you started sooner. A great tool to have as back-up is either a double edge or singe edge razors for the days you must shave but hit the snooze button one to many times. They give great shaves and the blades are much cheaper than cartridges. Good luck and keep us posted.