Thread: Honing a Gold Dollar is hard!

Originally Posted by almond

Net result: BBS.

No, the edge ain't perfect,

I am not using the edge near the heel for any practical purposes. So it is ok.

On visual examination there seems to a micro serration somewhere near the middle, but I haven't been too bothered by it.

Don't know how you got BBS with so many obvious problems going on, but well done.
The more you learn, the more you will learn to use the entire length of the razor. The heel is a part of the razor that you have good control of because it is closest to your hand, so it helps if it is as sharp as the rest of the edge. Good for trimming up those difficult spots after your first pass.
Release that monkey back into the wilderness where it belongs, get yourself a tidy vintage razor and learn to hone on that. The difference will be night and day. A pro honed razor is a good comparison to know where you are at with your own abilities.
A strop doesn't blunt your razor, it maintains your razor. It takes time to master, but once you do, expect to get 50+ shaves before it needs a touch up. Have a Bengall and a Puma with over 80 shaves on each of them...