I didn't nick myself with the DE, I did with a straight when in a hurry. The weird part for me was that I couldn't necessarily "feel" the blade on my face, that's what I meant about feeling disconnected. I could only feel the natural weight of the razor's guide bar. Tyler included Schick (sp?), Derby Extra, and Wilkenson Sword blades with the razor, my first blade to use was a Schick. My being a total noob at this, I didn't even know which one to start with. My friend Obie recommended a few blades, so I'll order some up here in the next day or so.