SUCCESSSSS!!! It's not perfect, but it SHAVES! I've been collecting razors for a while, but none of them were shave-ready. I finally bit the bullet and picked up a DMT 325, DMT 1200, & Norton 4k/8k. I figured it was just a cheap as sending all my razors out anyways...sorry to all you honemeisters, I think you just lost my business for good :).
Now, this might all be beginners luck. I still have 8 more to hone, so we'll see if the rest go as well as the first.
One question: I put tape on the spine to set the bevel on the 1200, but then left it on throughout the entire honing process. Was I supposed to do that, or are you supposed to take the tape off after setting the bevel? Also, will that affect any ability to touch it up on a barbers hone every 10 shaves or so? After I had honed it I realized that the tape might have affected the angle of the bevel such that any touch-ups on a barbers hone might not be very effective. Thoughts?