Kelly, I have also ben frustrated by a similar situation. I can hone the razor and strop it and check all the three tests, you mention. The edge is however very fragile or unstable. The razor is again pretty dull after one or two shaves. So I know that a shave is possible with my equipment but it does not last. I compared the edge on my razor with that of a feather DE blade and some other sharp blades under 60X magnification. I figure that it might be worthwhile to get a similar edge on my razor. I asked gssixgun about my suggestion and got a very informative answer. But he did not endorse the idea. My inquiry appears in this thread. Basically I have carried out my plan and expect to finish stropping tomorrow and then shave with the newly honed and stropped Razor. Hope you figure out why the edge does not last.