okay. im still kinda new to razor honing so would like to try and better understand the difference between ‘smooth’ and ‘sharp’. and more importantly how to attain either upon desire.

sharp does not necessarily mean smooth, right? I was thinking about adding a 16k to my progression after 12k. will this make the shave smoother as well as a little sharper? if not, what do others use or do to smooth out the edge a bit? do you go from 12k to a coticule for a few laps? or will this just take the razor back down from 12k to a lower/lesser edge? do you strop some extra laps on purpose?

I hear words used like ‘smooth’ and ‘buttery’ but how do you attain that? personally im okay with losing a small amount of keenness for a gentler shave. as an example, feather DE blades are known for being super sharp but im (personally) just fine using derby or astra blades. they may not be as sharp as feather but they still cut through hair just fine.

what do you do to get the edge more comfortable? id love to hear everyones process, try them all, and see what works best for me.

thanks!
-s.