So here I am puzzling over why my edge that looks so nice, and ready for shaving, fails in comparison to my professionally honed blade. I re-read the honing stuff. I ask some questions in chat. I strop on leather til I reach muscle failure...then I have an epiphany. I mean, seriously, how complicated could spine leading x-stokes on leather be? Oh, there's that linen side I saw Undream use once in a video...Boy do I feel stupid. This is where you all get to laugh. 25 strokes on a nylon strap I have laying around, and my edge doesn't even look the same. I have three very distinct bevels going on this blade. Each one just a hair steeper than the last. Presumably, only revealed after something like a nylon strap brushes away all the hanging and perfectly combed steel. Looks like I've got some reading to do. I'd be interested to hear what conclusions are formed based on this info. Please don't conclude that I'm hopeless. That'd be a real letdown.

You guys really were't kidding when you said the 1k's the money maker and the 12k's the star. Ok, nobody said that, but that's how I interpreted it.