Need your good advice. Shaved with a straight while I was in college, 50+ years ago. Then I used a low-end DublDuck, strop, frictionite hone an Foamy lather from a can. Got excellent shaves and never had the razor honed in the four years I used it, just the BH once a month or so. Watched the James Bond movie and decided to return to a straight. Haven't had a comfortable experience with the straight this time around. Have tried VDH soap puck and Aveeno shave cream. Best lather is VDH plus a small squirt of shampoo. Always shower and hot towel before lathering face. With this regimen and Mach 3 I get the most comfortable and closest shaves of my life. I know the lather is working fine.

Experienced sharpening both wood and metal cutting tools. Have Norton 220/1000, and naniwa superstones in 5000, 8000 and 12000 grits, CH12k and diamond sprays in 1/2 and 1/4 micron sizes. Strop is Star Shaving Big Daddy in Bridle leather + felt, diamond sprays on DIY two sided felt paddle. Absorbed all the videos on honing and practice honed five or so different antique store razors several times each until felt i had good edges before I ever touched one to my face. The stropping technique returned immediately, have put only one small nick on the strop and that was on the very first try after 50 years. Use 20 felt /50 leather laps on strop before each shave. Use a very light touch on both the hone and the strop. All experiences with the straight have been VERY uncomfortable. Bought a new Dovo 1/2 hollow and sent it and a Shumate full hollow to gssixgun (Glen) for honing. I know the razors are sharp, have examined edges under 10x, 40x and 60x magnifiers. The edges are not rolled and are not jagged. Glen's edges are more refined than mine in that fewer of the scratches from edge setting remain, but the two sharpened by Glen are just as uncomfortable as the ones I have honed. I shave slowly and stretch my face carefully before trying to cu any whiskers. When I try to cut whiskers, it feels as if I am pulling half of them out. Second pass is more tolerable.

I have read about every thread on this site on pulling. I'm out of ideas. What am I doing wrong?