Hello,
I live currently live in Brooklyn, but grew up in Michigan. I came to straight razors by way of dreading having to spend more $$$ on cartridge refills and also trying to eliminate as many disposable things as I can from daily life. So I read a couple articles, then found and Bought a Sheffield razor on ebay that had a decent edge to it. I then procured a combo leather/canvas strop. I've shaved twice. First time, I just did the easier parts, like sideburns and a little bit of the neck area. Wasn't too bad. Then I stropped again (think I did a better job that time), and my second shave was a lot more successful. I did my whole beard, but admittedly, left a couple parts of my face with the feeling of razor burn. Thankfully, I wasn't redfaced! I now acquired a hone and just honed my razor. I will give it a go again tomorrow. I suspect that my main issues are sharpness and technique. If anyone lives in the NYC area and is willing to give me some in person 101 straight-razor instruction, that would be great! I feel like youtube videos and forums can only get you so far. I am convinced that I want to invest the time to move away from the cartridge razors.
Looking forward to learning more on this forum!
-Ravi