Thread: Surprise in the mail

So I came home today and to my surprise I found a small package waiting for me. When I opened it up it was the barber hone I had ordered and forgot about. I paid about $13 dollars for it and was wondering if you guys could help me answer a question or two.

First, do I need to lap the hone before use? It seems smooth to the touch.

Second, the box says to use the hone with lather. Does this mean that I just whip up lather like I normally would and spread it onto the hone before using it?

Third, I fear I may have slightly dulled my razor while learning to strop. I only own one razor and I cant afford a second right now, so I don't have a properly honed razor to compare my regular razor to. So would the TPT test be sufficient in determining if the edge is refreshed? Or should I just do a few laps and see how the shave feels?

Thanks for helping a noob out!