Hello from North Carolina
Good afternoon all,
After 30 years of wet shaving using a Gillette twin-blade, I've finally decided to make the transition to straight razors. I've done a lot of reading on the site over the last week or so, and have been training up with a Magic Shaver using Personna blades cut in half to see if I'm going to be able to learn how to shave this way. A few small nicks, nothing hideous, and none at all today. I bought my first straight from the classifieds here just a couple of days ago, waiting for it to arrive.
For anyone contemplating getting started with a Magic Shaver or equivalent, my sense is it's very easy to give yourself a nick because it's so light--weighs almost nothing, so small unintentional movements have larger consequences. I'm anticipating that shaving with a real straight is somewhat more forgiving due to the weight (I'd be interested in hearing others' thoughts/experiences). The good thing about the Magic Shaver is that it's really hammered home the principles in "The Zen of Straight Shaving" article posted on the beginners' FAQ here.
And many thanks to the founders, mentors and all who have shared their wisdom and knowledge--I would never have ventured to make this switch without this great resource. Cheers!