Originally Posted by
kwlfca
Honestly, your frustration is exactly the reason that you shouldn't learn to hone while learning to shave and strop with a straight, at least not with the razors you shave with.
Take some of Glen's advice, and learn to walk away from the stones. If you feel like your going back and forth like this, you're not doing any good to the steel or your learning experience.
Stop doing all of these tests, stop looking at the blade, strop doing things on your hones and worrying that something's wrong.
Strop your blade and focus on your stropping technique. I mean really focus. Make sure that you're getting a nice even stroke, back and forth, listening and feeling. Make sure you haven't got yourself into any bad stropping technique. Don't do anything else to your blade until you shave next.
Shave, and tell us how it feels on your face.