While my usual shavers have been out with Utopian, I've been spending some quality time with razors I haven't used in ages. I have also been purchasing Torrey's as gifts for some friends.

On one Torrey in particular, that needed restoration, I started at 1k and continued until it shaved hair on my arm. Under the loupe I could see the 1k striations in the blade but the 1k striations faded away at the heel and the tip. Out of laziness I continued to 3k then to 8 k, stropped, and shaved. It shaved as well as any other I have honed...However...The tip and heel remained unhoned in the loupe and I could feel it in the shave when I tried to use those parts of the blade.

I hone with circles until striations from previous stone are gone, then with x stroke until circular marks are gone, on a freshly flattened hone. It makes sense for those parts of the edge to not get honed much due to the x stroke: the heel and tip don't see much time on the hone.

So what is up with my technique? Any suggestions on how to make sure those parts of the blade get honed? Any particular way to use the hone?