Thanks Martin for yet another interesting read from whatever archive you stumbled onto! I really do enjoy the straight forward ambiguity the author has for his audience. I will sum it up for those just reading comments.

You can't really shave well until you really shave well.
You probably can't strop until you can strop.
And, you can't hone until you hone. you also haven't finished unless you finish on calf skin massaged with oily candle snuffing!

Cleaning with silk is a unique idea. Silk can magnetize steel by moving it in one direction so maybe cleaning with silk decreases the edges vulnerability to oxidation?