I've done a fair amount of razor honing over the past 6 years and here are my general impressions. The Norton 4k8k is a good stone. It must be flattened prior to use to get the glaze off and to lap it flat. They just don't come flat. The coticules in 8K and the blue belgian in 4K will give superior finishes to any Norton. The DMT stones are aggressive eaters of steel but even the D8EE needs a finishing stone to follow as the diamonds just don't give a smooth edge at the micro level. The Shaptons at 16k and 30k will finish hone any razor I've thrown at them to an excellent finish and subsequent shave.

The problem I see with recommending a razor/hone combination is too many variables. Companies use different batches of steel at different times and heat treating recipes can change. Those are all proprietary secrets of the company. They don't post analyses of their steel or their heat treating protocols or even what they're using to quench (it matters!).

A steel quenched in water vs. brine vs. any of the quenching oils yields a different result.

This whole endeavor is full of variables and that's what makes it as much an art as a science in my opinion.