Here's just a conclusion of what I changed and how it changed my results:

- I got a piece of glass and some sandpaper and flattened my Norton flattening stone. I felt like an idiot flattening a flattening stone, that I expected to be flat in the first place considering it's called a flattening stone. There are too many repetitions of the word flat in this paragraph.

- I started using less pressure. That "edge as thin as a piece of tin foil" comment really resonated with me. I decided to try light pressure. I figured I could get to the same place with light pressure in more time, and it would be a good trade-off if it improved my consistency.

- I watched gssixgun teach speedster how to hone on YT, and noted that Glen advises trying to learn to do it one handed. I decided to try it out myself and am now using it almost exclusively. I find that having only one hand means it's hard to apply too much pressure, as well as making it important to focus on the feel of the feedback you are getting through your fingers/arm.

I've been getting very consistent results. In fact, I *think* I might be over that particular bump in learning how to hone a razor. I know there are miles to go yet, but it feels like I just need to refine the quality of the edge, now that I can consistently make it a real, good edge in the first place.