Going back to "What factor contributed to my unusually bad shave?" (the noo), I've been DE shaving for about 3 weeks now. Like an eejit I jumped in full-flow and changed everything about my shaving routine, so when I started getting problems I didn't know what was causing them. I got really miserable about it, especially after a spectacularly bad shave that left my face red and screaming. My "welcome" post to this site was a plea for help from people in the know, and that's what I've received in buckets. What I've done is taken a great piece of advice from people on here and gone back to what I know about shaving, then only changed one thing at a time. Then, if there's a problem, I know what's caused it.
I got the sample blade-pack from Connaught, and have been working through those, changing them every 3 days or so (or even less if I didn't think they were working). I've stopped using shaving soap for now because that's a whole new skill I need to learn once I've worked out which blades are good for my skin. So I'm using a Merkur DE with David Somerset oil (I do love those oils), but spend a lot more time washing my face in warm/hot water beforehand to wash away the natural oils on my bristles as well as soften them up before applying the shave oil. After the shave it's warm water and soap to wash stuff away, then a cold water wash (brrr), then attention with a styptic or block of alum ("you're rubbing Alan all over your face?", "no, ALUM"), then either Trumper's skin food or that Italian proraso post-shave cream. I haven't used my usual Polo aftershave in weeks! The shaves I'm getting at the moment, with blades that agree with my skin, are the best I've ever had in, what, thirty years of shaving.
My gosh that was a long post. Is the clock on this www still wrong or what?