Yeah, practice of course on a cheaper razor, but I think it's worth noting that if the razor has 'issues' (i.e. a lot of hone wear, warped, etc) it'll be really hard to know if you're doing a good job or not. I feel that a good way to practice is to take a razor that's not your very best, but still good enough to shave with, kill the edge and go from there. A really good thread on this is the JANorton thread; I really think we should do that again this January, but we have to act fast!!!!