This forum has been SO helpful. Thanks to all who are so welcoming to us beginners

So this morning I really took a LONG time to shave lol. I actually got a decent shave even tho it took me almost an hour and two batches of lather. But here is the thing, that first pass I make WTG is SO difficult. I mean I don't know if my beard is crazy coarse or if my blade isn't sharp enough or if it's my angle. So many possible things I could be doing wrong. The subsequent passes were totally smooth and easy.

I do take very small strokes (1/4") and I try to stretch my skin as much as I can. But I think you would laugh as I try to get my moustache area. I mean I feel like I'm cutting one whisker at a time!

I had the razor honed by Whipped Dog who I know is proficient. I have shaved maybe 8 times since then and I strop on one of his "poor man's strops" before each shave (30 passes maybe). When I strop, I do it on a table and I apply little/pressure. I can do the HHT.

Any ideas out there? I can't have the beard of Zeus can I?