matthew19 said:
I'm looking to start shaving with a straight razor. What is the benefits compared to a cartridge?
The benefits compared to a disposable plastic are great. I wrote about it in detail here:
Benefits of straight razor shaving
In summary: better shaves (less irritation & closer shave), greener, cheaper (by a lot), and accomplishment/manliness.
Is there a difficult learning process and what is good to start off with?
Yes. Although, unlike the rest of these folks, I went straight to a straight razor from the Mach 3 or 2, can't remember, they've come out with so many iterations. I don't remember it being difficult, but I've always been a knife enthusiast from a very young age and had a thorough understanding of how blades cut and the correct angles necessary to shave arm hair off with a knife. Either case, the minority of men will be able to pick it up really quickly, but the vast majority take a long time to master the skill. (sidenote: I also started using the same canned goo. Didn't switch over to brush & soap until a few years later, so you can shave with a straight & canned shaving cream. Don't recommend it, but if you do, just add more water).
I think the sooner you switch, the easier it is. The DE is easier to switch to because you've already learned the muscle memory associated with using a DE. A straight razor is a completely different ballgame. Nothing is the same.
As for DE v. Straight. If you really want to stick with a straight, you can buy a straight and finish with your cartridge until you get used to the straight razor. But if you want better shaves right now, then you should buy a DE. If your not going to stick with the DE, from a financial perspective I don't see any reason to buy one. As I've already said, you can still shave with that cartridge, its not broken.
But, if your just looking for a better shave with less effort, a DE is the way to go. The common analogy is manual v. automatic transmission. It's an apt analogy, but there are better ones.
If you do decide to buy a straight, regardless of which razor you buy, purchase one that is shave ready or send it to a professional for sharpening before use. Do not buy anything from Pakistan, Fromm razors, Venus razors, or the like. The Dovo Best is what I recommend at the moment. Rock solid history and can be had shave ready for $80 US + postage. Razor restorers might have something cheaper than that, but $80 is tough to beat.