My 95 SE has the H23A engine and a five speed stick.

And it is entirely possible (probable?) that I suck at stick shift. Even though I learned in them back in the 80s, I went 25 odd years driving almost exclusively automatics.

But 1st gear does seem to suck. And I know I am not the only one to mention this. My owners manual states on page 111 that the optimum shift up speed from 1st to 2nd is just 15mph for "normal" acceleration, and a mere 7mph if I want to cruise from acceleration - whatever that means. In short I find myself having to shift up even before I even exit the intersection, and either due to my lack of ability, or a clutch and transmission with almost 86K miles on them, the first into second shift can sometimes be a bit harsh.

I've also noticed that if I am on a flat road, or a downward grade, I can pull away very smoothly in 2nd gear. I am not going to burn any rubber doing this, and that's sort of the point. Its the sort of smooth gentle acceleration that the mother-in-law likes. It is also much easier on me as a driver if I am stuck in crawler traffic on the "expressway" where we are going from stop to 10mph and back again for hours at a time.

But am I damaging/stressing the drive train by doing this?

 

It may be harder on the clutch. But mostly depends on the situation, like uphill or downhill, slow traffic, etc.

 

You can pull away in 5th if you're good enough

If 2nd works for you, then do it. Or practice getting into and out of 1st more smoothly. My vote is to be able to row all the gears well, not just avoid it.