Iwasaki owners please chime in

I know there's no such thing as over stropping but perhaps I'm losing my mind. Pictures are thousand words so I'll try to keep my post minimum.

When I first got the razor back in September:

Please excuse the poor quality as it was taken with a mobile

http://i972.photobucket.com/albums/a.../SPM_A0070.jpg

Ura/Front:

http://i972.photobucket.com/albums/a.../SPM_A0066.jpg

Omote/Back:
*Note how the blackened portion on top is "still" intact
http://i972.photobucket.com/albums/a.../SPM_A0065.jpg

Closer look:
Please inspect along the spine
http://i972.photobucket.com/albums/a.../SPM_A0064.jpg

Another angle:
http://i972.photobucket.com/albums/a.../SPM_A0059.jpg

http://i972.photobucket.com/albums/a.../SPM_A0069.jpg

'Dunno looks the same as mine.

After shaving with and stropping:
Note the handle as well
http://i972.photobucket.com/albums/a.../SPM_A0339.jpg

Along the spine
http://i972.photobucket.com/albums/a.../SPM_A0349.jpg

http://i972.photobucket.com/albums/a.../SPM_A0350.jpg

http://i972.photobucket.com/albums/a.../SPM_A0351.jpg

http://i972.photobucket.com/albums/a.../SPM_A0435.jpg

I've never nicked/hacked my strop with this. There's little to no pressure if at all.

From the looks of it, in the initial shots prior to usage everything looks same with exception to spine.

Did blackened portions with your razor disappear overtime or did it come like that from the vendor?

If I'm not mistaken the dark is from one of the final heat treat processes. All of the metal will turn this color and then the hollow is re-ground and the edge sharpened. What does the opposite side (flat side) look like?

I have two; one is still unused as I received it, showing the wear of its single sharpening. A polished flat along the spine and edge omote and two flats as well on the hollow ground ura.

The bevels on the edge are very small as is the wear on the spine-but its width is uneven as is yours.

The wear is quite an unavoidable, normal and fairly instantaneous occurrence when set on the hone which is only further brightened with the strop.

I see some reflection of the bevel on the omote in your as received pics; as well as a flat along the spine which would follow the polished wear you have after use.

I would guess the spine on the back was touched up after sharpening.