Quote Originally Posted by HARRYWALLY View Post
I found with most of my friends who have started down the straight razor path, is that their biggest discouraging problem is stropping. I sharpen the blade for them, and they can't maintain the edge properly with good stropping technique. My one friend wanted to strop fast, like a crazy man, just like he had seen barbers do in the past. I tell him SLOW, making sure the blade lays flat. He just couldn't follow instruction.

If you can master maintaining the edge, the rest will follow.

Other than that, enjoy and ask lots of questions.
Thanks – that's really helpful advice. The reason I started off by dabbling with a shavette was because I could guarantee the blade was sharp, so one less unknown variable. The straights I'm using also started off sharp so if I lose the edge I'll know it's my stropping that's at fault. I am taking it slow and ensuring the blade lays flat so we'll see how it goes.