Alx, thanks! I think I've got the bug. I've got enough sharpening stuff that at a moments notice I can put on an edge that's good enough for almost anything--save a few specialized applications in tough materials. "Shaving" is ok, so I'm looking forward to developing better skills. But I don't need to a buy an edge as you put.

Thus I'm definitely in the camp of guys who want to try and experiment and learn and work with. I just found a website called easternsmooth that is chock full of fascinating information. It tells me I need to learn about nagura.