Greetings, folks. I am relatively new to brush and lather shaving, having learned to shave originally with a multi-bladed cartridge razor. I was never very satisfied with the quality of shave, though, but I did not trust myself with a straight razor. I'm active-duty military, so a good shave isn't just important, it's a requirement to be within regs. I started using a brush (Kingley Pure Badger) and lather (Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood cream in the jar) shaver, at first with my cartridge razor, then with the safety-razor (Merkur classic, long-handle). I am pleased with the quality of shave I've been getting, though it does take a little more work.