In my experimenting with sharpening, I've gone back to what I refer to as the half-X and I decided to try less sharpening. I've been going all the way down to .25 micron on a paddle strop, but decided not to, this time.

Last night I sharpened a Rodger's Sheffield that I'd only sharpened and shaved with once, over a month ago. It had been a poor shave. I resharpened, stopping at .5 micron.

This morning, I got my most comfortable AND closest shave yet. There was no harsh feeling from the blade and no need to make several passes to clean up any areas. I think I now know what I should be experiencing!

I used my version of the pyramid going back for 2 passes and then back for 1 pass after each 10:

started with 20 @ 3 micron, then:

10 @ 1
2 @ 3
10 @ 1
1 @ 3
10 @ 1
10 @.5
2 @ 1
10 @.5
1 @.5
10 @.5

Tom