Hi, and thanks for reading, because I really need some help. I have a few very nice Japanese razors, all of which have a dull "factory" type edge on them, and I have been trying to get them sharp using my stones, but no luck. I just don't know what I'm doing wrong, and I hope that someone here can give me some simple pointers.

So here's what I tried. I used a honing pattern similar to what Jim R. shows in his YouTube video -- 10 back and forth laps with the side WITHOUT the writing against the stone, followed by 1 stroke (or 1/2 lap), spine first direction, with the side WITH the writing against the stone. (I don't use concave or convex, because people seem to mix those up, and I also don't use ura or omote, because I know that I will mix them up.)

Anyway, I tried to put light pressure on the edge as I was doing the laps, but all of the wear I noticed was on the part of the "wedge" that is midway up the blade. Also, with even light honing, I notice now that the wear is not even!! How could that happen with just a few strokes?

As for the stones, I used a Belgian coticule and then two natural Japanese stones that I am evaluating right now for a purchase. I can see that the Belgian took off a lot more steel in a lot fewer strokes, but nothing I did got me any closer to shave ready sharpness.

Thanks.