Hey everyone. I've been toying with the idea and researching off and on about getting a straight razor for the better part of 4 years now. Well, I finally took the plunge and got me a basic setup of a razor, strop, cream, mug, and badger brush. I ordered from Straight Razor Designs on a Thursday and got it today, Monday, which really surprised me with the speed of delivery.

So I watch all of the DVD that I ordered and practiced the motions with Lynn with the blade closed, using the scale as a pretend blade. I thought I was really getting the hang of it and ready to try out the real thing. The shaving cream smelled so good and as I applied it, I could already imagine myself doing this every morning for the rest of my life.

Then came the razor. I was very very careful with it at first, obsessed at trying to hold it at the right angle and go very slow. It didn't seem excessively sharp to me, in fact, it felt really dull. I had just shaved 2 days prior so the hairs weren't particularly long. I went back and stropped the blade again (I had done it before very carefully) And when I returned I was able to finish the job, but it wasn't nearly as clean or even close as the 5 blade cartridge I was so ready to forsake forever. I shave my head, so I didn't have any to donate for the hair to test the sharpness, so I borrowed one from my dog. The blade would only cut if I held both ends. I tried with a piece of floss as well, and it required a bit of pressure and sawing motion to cut though as well.

I'm starting to wonder if the blade was sharpened before shipment, or perhaps I over stropped it? Maybe I am just unpracticed. Towards the end of the shave (I relathered and reshaved about 4 times) I was really getting the hand motions down. I decided to try a bit of the side of my head just to test my more confident grip, and thats when I really felt like the blade was not as sharp as my 5 blade.

Does this experience sound normal for a newbie? Maybe I am just so inexperienced I'm completely missing the mark. Or does it sound like my blade wasn't pre sharpened? I finished the job but the experience was just not as smooth as I was imagining. Also, I didn't know about oiling the strop until I received my shipment and watched the DVD. Could that have played a factor?