Patsy,

There are two adjustments you need to set, the throat opening and the depth of cut.

To set the throat opening:

1) Loosen the two knobs, slide the blade back, then snug the knobs

2) Loosen the screws on the nosepiece, drop it all the way down, then tighten the screws

3) Loosen the knobs again and slide the blade forward until it contacts the nosepiece.

4) Take 4 strips of plain ol' white paper and slip them between the nosepiece and the blade. This will space the blade backward a bit (~.012").

5) Tighten the knobs while holding the blade gently against the paper shims. Be careful to tighten the knobs evenly, so the blade stays roughly centered.

The easiest way to set the depth of cut is to set it on a flat surface and use shims under the nosepiece to get the correct depth. Three thicknesses paper (~.009") should be a good place to start.

1) Loosen the two screws holding the nosepiece.

2) Hold the shave body flat against the surface with your middle and ring fingers.

3) Slip the shim(s) under the nosepiece.

4) Press the nosepiece down with your index finger.

5) Tighten the screws.

This should give you a good starting point. Feel free to experiment with both settings until you get the desired result. If you really want to get precise, you can use a feeler gauge (from your local auto parts store) to set these adjustments, but over time, you'll get a feel for it and be able to do it by eye.

Although the shave cuts pretty well right out of the package, I found that it improves significantly with a good honing. Now that you have your blade guide and holder, it should be a piece of cake. The A2 steel in these blades is very hard, so it take time to sharpen them, but they hold an edge really well. Since yours has been bouncing off of concrete, I imagine it needs some work. I'd suggest you get a carpet scrap or some kind of matt to put on the floor where you do your sharpening and adjustments. It will save you a lot of time and frustration.