A "meet-up" with someone is a great idea. I've done it with AFDavisII here in Virginia, and it made all the difference. Learning this stuff, especially honing and stropping, by way of the printed word is very difficult. Seeing it done well in person gives you a model to work from. Having someone show you how the various sharpness tests work and how to personalize them is invaluable.

I used to restore fine old English smoking pipes to "like new" condition. I could write someone a letter and tell them precisely how I did it, but that doesn't mean that they would have "learned" those skills. Doing so takes someone showing you not just what is to be done but how each step is performed and when to move on to the next step. You just can't "tell" someone that kind of thing.

I know "how" to perform a great golf swing, but that doesn't mean I can just go out and do it. That's why there are golf professionals. Here we have razor blade experts and honemeisters. I'd get together with one. What I learned in four hours with AFDavisII has made all the difference.

Good luck!