Great thread

Honestly nothing irks me more then this statement

"I am going to buy a few E-bay junkers and learn to hone, don't really care if I wreck them" to my ears that is total disrespect to the history of the blade

Easiest way to learn honing is to learn to touch up a blade that was already shaving...

ie: Get two shave ready blades, shave one put the other aside, when the first starts to slip learn to bring it back to shave ready, you have the second blade to compare your abilities against...

Keep that up until it is easy peasy, then let it slip to the next stage down "Sharpening", after you have that down, lastly try the "Bevel Set" by that time you should be pretty darn good...