Just finished shaving. I did more hot water prep with towels and incorporated cold water into the lather and between pass rinses. I liked what those did for me for sure. The razor seemed to glide better, which could have been attributed to better prep and I think my stropping is improving as well. I did have a little more irritation during the alum block application, but my face normally gets more sensitive throughout the week and my shaves usually aren't as close either. It's almost as if the hair is thicker and coarser each day. Anyways, I think the biggest improvement came from really paying attention to what part of the blade I was using. I used the heel a lot more and that seemed to improve control and provide a little extra momentum to the blade.