I thrashed around for several months before I realized that my honing skills were getting decent. That's because I was stupid and didn't get a shave-ready razor to begin with. So I'm not really sure when I had my first success.

Another good idea that would shorten the timeframe is working with a razor that has a properly set bevel already. Learning to set a good bevel takes time, and when you're starting out it's hard to figure out if an edge is dull because you overhone it or because it needs some time on the lower grits, like 1K or so.

I've thought about offering "hone ready" razors that have good bevels but still need to be polished before they're shave ready. I'd be willing to work with anyone who's just starting out with honing...

But to answer your question directly, I'd say a couple of weeks to a month seems like a reasonable average. Some take a lot, lot longer.

Good luck,
Josh