My first honing experience

[Hammett]

Good morning all,

So I first hone my razor following Bart's article on Yellow Coticule + BBW

I first hone with the yellow coticule with a slurry until I pass the TNT test, then I switch to the BBW with a slurry and finally I polish with the coticule again but with water only.

My dificulties arises when it comes to the BBW with slurry. I cannot see the steel mixing the slurry and water, and thus I cannot determine if the hone really cuts the steel. I use this stone with no presure on the blade, I don't know if I should put some pressure on the blade as I hone. After around 50 strokes or so, I start diluting the slurry with water every 10 strokes until the slurry is gone.

After that, I perform a TPT test, and quite frankly, I don't know if I pass it or not. Since I have no experience on TPT, I cannot tell if I pass the test or not. From what I read on the wiki, I do not think I pass it, but because I was not sure enough, I jumped to the polish fase.

In there, using the coticule with only water I could see how the hone was cutting the steel, and I was aplying very light pressure on the blade, merely acompaning the blade as I was doing the X strokes.

After that, I did a TPT test again. It felt more sharp, but not really much different than with the BBW. HHT test failed by all means.

I did a go to the shave yesterday night, and I had the smoothest shave in many months. I did just a ATG shave and I ended up very satisfied of the razor. I did not have any pull and I got a very nice shave.

My worries now reside on the BBW stone. How much pressure should I use on the blade? Should I see how the stone is cutting the steel? I haave the sensation I could go from coticule with slurry to coticule with water and I would not feel the difference...

Thanks for any advice!