Hi everyone. I justed wanted to share my 6 shaves with you all, with one post/thread, insteade of 6 individual threads. Shave one: 10-18-08, I have already said in my first post that I have a new DOVO BERGISCHER LOWE, pre-sharpened by Lynn Abrams. I also have a DOVO extra wide russian leather strop. I did a full face shave. Went ok, 7 nicks 1 poke with the spanish point. Pure novice mistake! LOL! I poked my myself in the upper lip, between the cleff. I don't connect my thin goatee. Didn't bleed that bad though! Not as bad as I thought I would. I used T&H pre-shave oil, TOBS lavender shave soap whipped up with my Sheffield England polished pewter Caswell-Massey super silver tip badger brush. WTG pass, no nicks. XTG pass, 1 nick, and the poke. ATG pass, my other 6 nicks, 3 above the lip, 1 lower lip, 1 side of my goatee, 1 on the neck. CWR, The Art of Shaving lavender after-shave balm, and the trusty stytic pencil, EDC TOBS shaveshop. Mild redness, slight irratation, I think that is more to do with the fact, that my face is not used to the straight razor. All in all, I thought it went well. Shave two: 10-21-08, AOS lavender pre-shave oil, TOBS lavender shave soap, WTG pass went awesome, XTG pass well 1 nick above lip, ATG pass 3 nicks, one more above lip, 2 on lower jaw line, 1 on the neck. Less redness and irration. CWR, AOS lavender AS balm, styptic pencil. Much better shave and loving it! Shave three: 10-24-08, Same pre-shave ritual as the first 2 shave, WTG pass 0 nicks, XTG pass my frist cut above the lip where it meets the cheek. Pure novice mistake! Instead of pulling the razor away from my face to see my next pass, I pull it across my face and the heal of the Bergischer Lowe gave me, my frist cut! My fault. After all, I am a beginner! LOL! In the words of Jigsaw from the horror movies Saw, " Oh yes, there will be Blood!!!" The cut closed fast with AOS lavender AS balm, and a stytic pencil. The only irration was from the cut though, I was beleive it or not, happy about the whole shave though! I sort of felt that I earned my stripes!?! Shave four: 10-26-08, Same pre-shave prep, WTG pass went very well, it's almost as if the BREGISCHER LOWE is getting sharper!!! If any body has a Bergischer Lowe and has experinced this effect please let me know. Shave five: 10-29-08, Same pre-shave prep with the addition of a Illinois #827 russian leather strop. WTG pass, best yet! XTG pass, Still awesome!! ATG pass, Oh My God, totally awesome!! I think it was A BBS shave!!! CWR, TOBS Mr. Taylor AS balm, EDC Mr. Taylor's Shave six: Same pre-shave prep except TOBS sandlewood SS. WTG pass, awesome! XTG pass, still awesome!! ATG pass cut on throat left sude of adams apple. Not as bad as I thought it would be! It stug, and I was a little embarassed. After though, I'm still a beginner! It was a great shave other-wise! I really like this and I think I'm getting the hang of this. I feel kind of pround to be shavind with a Straifgt razor! Execept my beard doesn't grow fast enough!!!LOL! I would appricate any or all feed back. Take care everybody. STRAIGHT RAZOR 13.