Aloha!

Welcome. IMO, you are already a good part of the way there because you actually know what a well honed razor that is truly shave ready is supposed to feel like when applied to your beard. It's always a good idea for newer straight razor users to have a blade or two professionally honed so they have a benchmark as to what a bade is supposed to feel like when it is properly sharpened.

I personally like my barber hone, but it's not a "do-all" stone for me. I do need my 1k (for bevel setting) 4/8k and 12k superstone. Once I properly hone a blade, then I can in fact keep it up to snuff with my barber hone and strop, but a blade that comes to me truly dull, I need my regular stone progression to hone it, not just a barber hone and strop.

Lots of great vids by Lynn Abrams here at SRP on Youtube about honing, and GSSIXGUN from SRP also has many good videos on honing he has poted to Youtube. Here is one about using a barber hone you may find interesting.



Enjoy the journey!

-Zip