Quote Originally Posted by falconer View Post
probably is my stropping, it hasn't been stropped very much out of fear of screwing it up
That may be your problem. You should strop your razor before every shave. Doing so won't sharpen the blade, but it does help align the edge and removes the invisible burrs on its edge that are created by the blade cutting through your whiskers.

Don't be fearful of stropping. Just take it slow and easy until you get a feel for the rhythm and pressure (light) necessary for effective stropping.

I usually do 50 on the linen and 50 on the leather of my strop before I shave; then 15 and 15 afterwards to help dry off my razor and remove any crud on the blade to reduce the possibility of corrosion.