I tried the Village Barber pre-shave oil (purchased together with a shave balm) and have experienced two very nice (and comfortable) straight shaves on consecutive days. I used it with a DE this morning with a 7 o'clock blade on it's third outing - this again was very comfortable and the only comparison I have is with a Shark that began to tug when I used it for the third time. Given that I also used pre-shave with the Shark (Allans Slick Water as opposed to Village Barber) I cannot draw any conclusions as to whether the blade or different pre-shave are responsible.
What I can say is that some form of pre-shave suits me - it's probably more important when using a straight than a DE. Together with the Village Barber balm, it leaves a very nice and moisturised feeling.
Of the three I've tried to date - T&H, John Allans Slick Water and Village Barber, the last wins in terms of performance, smell and price.