Hot damn! I think I'm getting the hang of this!

So I only have 1 straight razor that I shave with. I had it honed and it passed the HHT just fine. Well I stroped incorrectly on my first few stropings and after I think 3-5 shaves it no longer passed the HHT. I continued using it because it was still sharp and got the job done (also I didn't want to send it off again). I have a Swaty barber's hone so I figured I would try my luck on that. It didn't help the first time. I honed it again a few days later and it helped a little. Well a couple days ago I figured I'd try the Swaty on it again and the CrO side of Rup's Filly. Well 8 strokes on the hone, 20 laps on the CrO side, and 30 laps on the normal side later and it's back to passing the HHT! I haven't been able to gauge my progress as far as "am I honing/stroping correctly" and things like that until now, so this feels like a very big step to me.

Good for you. It is exciting to make progress on getting and keeping your razors shave ready. Keep up the good work and it will keep getting better and better...

congrats. Good to hear you had positive results

Any time you have finished with a hone its a good idea to strop the blade a little more than normal, it cleans as well as refines the edge. I am so glad people are starting to realize the value of a barbers hone. It sounds like you had a great learning experience and the barbers hone is already on its way to paying for itself.

Congrats! Keep us updated.

Returning a blade to shave readiness... Pretty heady stuff!

Yeah I'm feeling pretty good about it. I shaved with it for the first time since honing it and am proud to report it was the best shave in the last couple weeks. Unfortunately I still haven't worked out the whole "very sensitive skin" thing >.< but it was still a very good shave and back to being BBS ;)