I tried shaving for the first time with a straight today and it was a sorry attempt. I followed instructions for honing and stropping, watched videos on how to do it properly, and on how to build a good lather. I tried the moistened thumbnail and ball of the thumb and I get a good pull on both and left a nice little slice on my thumb from just the pressure of the blade. I'm not sure why, but when I tried the razor on my face at a 30 degree angle (or less) with the grain I ended up not really taking off any hair at all. For reference, I have a moderately thick beard and have actually had my beard grown out for years now. It's always been rather itchy so I'm aiming to get rid of it now. I never shaved much before because I always got razor burn, but I care more about looking clean-cut these days. So....anyone able to help me out and show me what I'm doing wrong? If not, any ideas or suggestions? I use this for shaving soap and a boar brush if that makes a difference. And yes, I made sure the skin wasn't visible at all when applying the lather.