King,

I'm also new to honing, and have learned through trial and error. I only have about 7 really successful honing sessions under my belt on 7 different razors. I have a Norton 220/1000, 4000/8000, and a Naniwha 12000 as a finisher. I use a DMT325 to lap my hones. (I also have a Japanese stone of unknown grit and an Arkansas Translucent that is so hard I could drive nails with it. At my experience level I have no idea if they have helped much or not.)

My first sharpening experience was on my new Dovo that needed a touch up. I went straight to the 4000 and 8000, applied pressure to the blade and ended up wiping out the bevel. It felt like I was using tweezers to shave with. I went back and tried to fix it on the 8000 and 12000 and it didn't help. After getting over the frustration and disappointment I went to the library tab above on the menu bar and read all about bevels and printed out the pyramid charts. I learned a few crucial lessons. The first was that if I keep my right elbow (I'm right handed) lifted to where my arm was level with the stone surface I didn't have any issue with keeping the blade flat and level. The second was that by using the pyramid with the 4000/8000 and following up with the 12000 I got an excellent shave. The third was to be patient and let the stones do the cutting. Light strokes produced the keenest edge for me.

I had to reset the bevel that I messed up. I used the 1000 lightly with X strokes and a magnifying glass looking at the edge every few stroke sets. I stayed on the 1000 until it popped arm hairs and moved to the pyramid. I haven't had to touch it for a while now and I have a pretty tough beard (it rotates in about every third day).

Patience and utilizing the wealth of knowledge in the library have helped me to refine my technique and learn to use my tools correctly. Although...I'm working on a warped Joseph Rogers that I would have already cut my wrists with if I could get it sharp enough!

As far as saving money...