Quote Originally Posted by Birnando View Post
Have you checked this anomaly on other known flat surfaces?
Or, did you do the flip as if you were to become a lefty, rather than just do the flip by rolling it over on it's spine?
Yes; I tried righty and lefty, as well as both sides of the hone. I probably don't own anything else as flat as this hone, so I didn't test the flatness against any other type of benchmark. The results were consistent no matter how I turned the blade/hone, though, so I think the results are for real.

Regarding obtaining a shave-ready razor, I still have enough skin and motivation left where I'd like to try prepare the edge myself. I've learned a lot in the last 24 hours, including about honing. While I'm far from being a professional (and probably far from being an amateur, at this point) I think I can assess the edge on my replacement unit and prepare it appropriately on my own. Eventually.

If I fail, at least I know where to go for help. Thanks for the tip on the 'Classifieds' section; I hadn't visited that part of the site before.