I too want to send a huge thank you for that info- this has been enourmousily helpful to me too. I've been wondering the same things and been almost afraid to ask what I'm doing wrong or not doing, because I really don't know for sure what I'm doing in the first place.

I'm personally, probabily introducing too many varibles in the equasion to begin with since I'm learning to shave, strop and hone basically at the same time.
I am producing a shavable edge that pulls, but could really be undoing my work at any point in the process. Now I have a better idea of where to start anilysing and how to do so.

Lynns thread on barber hones this week has also been enourmiously helpful.