Hey Guys,

Just thought I'd introduce myself and give you a little background information. My name is Don and I've decided to try straight razor shaving because I have very sensitive skin and and a very thick beard, not a good combination. Through the years I've gone back and forth between electric razors and regular razors. About 3 years ago I bought an electric razor because I was tired of spending $12 every two weeks for blades. I was also tired of the razor rash I always got on my throat after shaving every day for a week. Since I bought the electric razor I saved enough money from purchasing blades that its paid for itself several times over. However, lately I have been left with a slight five o'clock shadow that appears around 11am, most likely because of the blades need to be replaced. So, over the weekend a thought crossed my mind to look into straight razor shaving. I watched numerous videos on how it's done and read several posts on the subject as well. I'm looking for a shave that I can do daily that will leave my face smooth with no trace of a five o'clock shadow, till at least 5pm. So I took the plunge and ordered a Dovo 5/8 Best Quality Blonde--only color they had in stock--paired with a 2" strop from Straight Razor Designs. I hope to get it in the mail tomorrow. I already have some shave cream/soap I bought from Walmart along with a cheap boar's hair brush I was using before the last electric razor I bought, which helped with my sensitive skin. Any advice for a novice would be appreciated. I'm looking forward to hanging out in the forums and learning the art of straight razor shaving.