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+1 cold water. I use hot & cold,but I now always do a cold water rinse before my last pass. Full cold water shaves are great with a mentholated soap.

Great! Hopefully all goes smooth from here.

Some guys report a huge difference between blades. I have been able to get good shaves with all the blades I have tried. I prefer some over others,but nothing night and day at least for me.

Well, I have only been "traditional" shaving for about 10 months. Started with DE, about 3 months with a Feather Artist Club, and about a month with a straight. I can get consistent BBS from my DE...

Good start! Things will only get better from here. I too find that a wider lather bowl works best for me.