I tried shaving without any soap or cream with my str8 last night. Before using a str8, I used a disposable and never used any cream. I had a 3 day grow and gotta tell you, for the most part, it was a decent shave. I had no nicks and only did one pass -- didn't want to get too aggressive. My upper lip and just below my lower lip were not as smooth as I end up with when using soap or cream, but overall, it was pretty darn good plus no mess to clean up and saved some time. I did miss the scent of using a cream, but the major benefit was I was able to see my skin completely which I think aided in not getting any nicks.

Rob