a good progression method with Naniwas

[Gamma]

Well said Gamma. Like in golf, minimizing the errors gets you closer to the goal, keeping track of where you have been helps you to get where you want to go. Counting is only an exercise in taking notes like memorizing the way to the bathroom in the dark by counting steps, you count weather you realize it or not. The real goal is tested in the shave and that is where the sympathzies of a craftperson come in to play, how much is enough and how little is not enough. There are so may vairables here with the stone and steel and user, once you hit a sweet method or game plan that works time and again a feeling of lightness arises to pat you on the back as a reassurment.Alx

The one part of my normal honing regimen that could be viewed as counting is how I keep the two strokes of a set equal.
Dont laugh - but it's like music notes for me. Each stroke is audible and my ears tick off the time.
My first razor to hone was a brand new Boker King Kutter, and I caught myself going short on the return stroke.
So - I tuned in to the sound to keep each pass as equal in length as possible.

If you want to call that counting - I can live with it; in a way, Its kinda like keeping time.
I just don't really think of it as such because there's no formal enumeration.