Hi marc,
Did you ever take Laurens up on his offer, as far as I can tell, you have one factory honed razor that you have managed to maintain and use for a few months with only a selection of pastes. I have never had a new razor, and only once did I shave with a razor that had not been purchased honed, subsequently I have done light refreshes myself. Neither have I ever tried pastes.
You may find that if you do have someone (and in your vicinity there are a few) give your razor a proper honing that the experience will change again. I find that the first few shaves after honing give the razor a slightly harsh feel that will mellow with a few uses and some stropping in between.
Do you use the pastes after/before every shave or just intermitently? I refresh once in a while and other than that I just usr a normal strop.
I also cold water shave, actually I keep everything in the fridge, shower before my shave make my lather and apply, I dont wet my face first or anything.