[Don Piano]

Are you keeping the medium wet? If so they can sit there happy as a clam and not develop new roots fast.

For cloning, I like to wet the medium good when I first stick the clone in, put it in a humidity dome (vent twice a day) only mist the plants once a day, and let the medium almost dry out completely, this causes the roots to search out water and grow fast. By the time the medium drys out (usually a week under cfl) the clones should have enough roots to transplant, if not, water one time more and repeat the cycle.

Shaving the stem is good to do, just not too deep or the whole stem. Just about 3/4" from the bottom and on 1 side (1/4) of the stem. Just brush your razor blade across it and take off a thin thin thin extra thin thin thin layer off.

If you shave off too much, the clones have no way to feed.

It is true that any part of that stalk buried will grow roots, this just speeds up the process.
I too have had stilted roots on my plants before.