Or pick up a cheap 100x microscope (toystores have em ~$10-15) and learn to identify each hone's scratch pattern. That plus the water wave Glen mentioned is how I tell if I'm affecting the toe and heal of the smilers I've been honing.
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I believe what you have is an old, unground razor blank - at least it is possible it's an old unground blank that had not yet been hardened.
Calls for some corn bread :D
Very good thought there John