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Mike,

Are you wetting your thumb first? A damp--not wet, not dry--thumb is what works for me.

The stickiness might take some practice to achieve, in your honing, stropping and touch on the...

I agree on the rough feeling. It feels gritty, like fingernails on a chalkboard. Shudder. :)

If it's biting in smoothly, I'd say you're there with the bevel. If you feel it slip at any point, you...

Mike,

I usually use the thumbpad test after stropping--it sticks like crazy then. I can't say about how it should feel after the 4K; I think you'll have to figure that one out on your own. I...

I agree with Alan--the important stuff happens at the high end of the grit range.

But first you have to get a good foundation--meaning a straight, chip-free edge and a bevel that runs to the very...

Mike,

OK, that helps a lot. There are two possibilities here. Either the razor is close and you've overhoned it, which means it just needs some gentle honing to coax it back to shave-ready.

The...

Mike,

Can you tell us a little more about the razor you're using? Is it new, vintage....?

The problem you're encountering is that you don't know where your edge is. It could be pretty close to...

I've never figured out whether that's true or not, actually. (Warning: Speculation to follow.)

If a flattening stone is somewhat uneven, I would think that the fact that you're rubbing the hone on...

Yeah, that can be a little bit of a chore with sandpaper, too. :) I've seen them dished in the middle and also high in the middle. You never really know until you start flattening...

Josh

I've lapped several, and all were off to some degree. My guess is that they use a mold to shape them, and the molds aren't perfect. I don't think it matters as much for most other applications.
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