One of the catch 22's of begining SR shaving is this exact quandry, which is why we suggest a "Very Reputable" honer to do the edge so there is no question - BUT- here is a vid that might help you determine where the edge is at and what a Shave Test is
Basically if you can't do that simple stroke then the razor most likely needs the edge adjusted/tweaked/honed
http://straightrazorpalace.com/video...-test-vid.html
It is the best we have hehehe it ain't foolproof but we try hard :)