You may have very well rolled or dulled your edge when you hit the riveted portion. I would suggest to keep trying to improve your technique first and take prox advice about trying different angles and such. This alone can make a huge difference. The VDH soap is not horrible but it can take a while to get it to lather. They say if you can get a good lather from VDH you can get a good one from any soap. Try some glycerine in your bowl and get a pre shave oil. All this can signifigantly help. If all this fails then you may want to think about sending it off to see if you damaged the blade.