Best advice for new shavers trying to hone
The best advice I have for new shavers trying to hone their first and only razor is...
...DON'T. At least not yet anyway.
Honing is something that takes LOTS of practice. Think the ability to hit a three-point jump shot the equivalent ability to make a few good passes on a razor while honing. Now you need MANY good passes in a row (without mistakes) to sharpen the razor without over-honing. Can you hit multiple three-point jump shots in a row when you first pick up basketball???
Too many people, including myself at first, can become so frustrated trying to hone their razor so they can get to the fun part (using the razor), that they never get to shave with it because it never gets sharp enough... after weeks or months of discouragement, they turn away from using a straight as it proves too difficult. They never really enjoy the feel of a sharp razor wiping the whiskers off their face. Shaving is the fun part guys - honing is just something to allow more fun.
My advice for any new person thinking about getting into straight razor shaving is to buy a second razor, probably something on ebay in decent but not perfect shape, preferably not stainless steel. Send their primary razor out to a honemeister to really get it sharp. This will provide a good reference point for what sharp is, and allow them to start using the razor and learning shaving technique. Use the second razor to practice honing on. That way if you don't pick it up in a few weeks or months, you aren't still waiting to try straight razor shaving.