Today I decided to try and hone my first razor, a Wm Elliot & Co. I have shaved with this razor before, so I know it can hold an edge.

I followed the JaNorton instructions and videos, so I only used a norton 4k/8k. The stone was lapped prior to its first use.

I killed the edge, by passing the razor lightly a couple of time on the stone.

I started on the 4k to set the bevel using the circle method: 40 circles, 10 x-passes, 10 heel leading (2 time w/ pressure, 1 time no pressure).

Once I finished from the 4k, I decided to try the arm hair test, nothing was coming off my arm but skin, when I used pressure. (I thought that the razor should be removing hair at this point).

Anyway, I decided to continue on the 8k side (x strokes and heel leading stroke), and what do you know, the razor started to pop hair off my arm at the end of the 8k side. So I decided to take it further and stropped 50 times on the green paste, 50 on linen and 100 on leather, and by this point hair was flying off my arm passing the razor halfway between the skin and hair tip.

So is it normal to not cut hair after setting up the bevel? My understanding was that when the bevel is set, the razor should pass the arm hair test, and no point of continuing if it does not. And that the 8k is just for finishing.