The Salter is a pretty good, middle of the road blade. Good weight and balance. They can rust if you blow on them though, so keep it dry and clean.

Your pressure idea is okay. Keep it light.

The technique/strategy might be a little too slow, but its a decent plan. It might take a while to get anywhere but eventually it could could work.

I don't think you'll have enough experience to discerne the thumbpad test. I'd just use a HHT and test shave small spots as you go. But, as you probably know, getting an example of shave ready is a good idea. "Just Sharp", razor wise, can cause lots of facial damage. Typically, razors are "wicked sharp". There is a big difference.

You should have two blades for daily shaving, but it has nothing to do with resting. More its about having atleast one blade that is always "tuned" right without having to mess with it pre-shave. "Tuned" is the idea that the razor is at a good spot in the honing cycle and lightly/properly stropped.