I've decided it's time to learn to touch up my own razors. I bought a coticule as my weapon of choice and have read just about every article in the Wiki on honing. I can't say that my first attempt is going particularly well, so I've got a couple of questions.

At issue is a 6/8 Le Grelot. One of the ones that are still available through Vintage Blades, Classic Shaving, et al. I noticed the razor getting a tad unsharp. Unfortunately, I didn't test it to see how unsharp it was before trying to hone it. Now it will only shave the hair on my arm at a 20 degree angle or more with a little pressure. It's certainly not popping hair and won't shave at a shallow angle.

First off, I'm wondering if I've blown the bevel and need to start from scratch. All I have is the coticule. Do I need another stone or does it need to go to a honemeister or can I recover with just the coticule? If the latter, any tips?

Secondly, any suggestions on how many laps I should be going between test shaves? Should I be working up a slurry, use lather, just use water or use it dry?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.