Relative newbie from London, UK

Good morning Gents,
I hope you're all looking forward to a delightful Sunday.

I've been shaving with a straight razor for about 6 months now, and have just found this great site. I have started with a very cheap and cheerful plastic "razor blade" straight razor which I bought on the internet from Hong Kong! I've been pleasantly surprised - it seems to work pretty well for me, and I like the ease of use. I'm slowly getting more proficient and I occasionally manage to complete a shave without any nicks or cuts. That said, the cuts I do sustain are pretty minor and don't hurt.

I don't shave often - a mixture of habit and laziness. The habit of shaving irregularly comes from having painful razor burn when I first started using an electric shaver at age 18. Electric shaving soon turned into wet shaving with a safety razor, and whilst this was an improvement the razor burn continued to a lesser extent.
I'm fortunate to have a job where shaving is not essential. I am also fortunate enough to have a job where I get to visit many interesting and far-flung countries, and have had the good fortune to experience barber shop shaving in India, Indonesia, Morocco, Pakistan, Ethiopia and elsewhere. The experience of being shaved by an expert barber, followed by a head & back massage must be one of life's greatest pleasures!

Over the years, being shaved with a straight razor by a barber - and not suffering from severe stubble burn - made me realise that I should give it a try on my own face. And here I am, at the start of the journey with straight razors, and enjoying it immensely, both from the point of view of reduced pain, and also from the point of view of learning a new and challenging skill. I also look forward to learning more about this way of shaving and about what my next steps are when I decide to move on from my $10 Hong Kong razor!

I look forward to being in touch with you.

warm regards