After 20 days of safety razor shaving, and some good advice here, I have the ultra-smooth, close comfortable shave I wanted (of course, 42 years of wet shaving experience helped). 10-15 more days, and I may start experimenting with different brands of blades (all Astra SP up to now-suggestions?). I find the key is to keep the razor handle angled at least 45 degrees away from the face at all times, and probably closer to 60. I needed to look at the razor loaded with a blade very carefully, with a jeweler's loupe, to figure this out. If Merkur had included a simple diagram with the razor, I'd have been all set on day one. Obviously, other razor models could have different angles.
Still, I can tell other newbies, no pressure = no blood (or only very rarely). The shave just won't be very close if the blade angle is too steep.
Success! And thanks. And the secret to no blood.