X,

After carefully rereading your post, I think I get it. Is the main thing I have wrong the part about having the tip leading at the end of the stroke?

So you start with the heel leading, and end with the heel leading, but the angle is less drastic at the end than it was at the beginning?

As I think about it, I don't actually do what I was describing. My variation on this method is to add a rolling motion to the X-stroke, ending with about 1/3 of the blade on the hone. If I'm really having trouble with the very tip of the toe, I'll sometimes bring even more of the blade off the hone, but you have to be really careful with that...

I'm going to try to mock up a graphic to see if I'm understanding you correctly.

Josh