To me a paste is just another tool with a smaller grit. Many people who have honed thousands of razors continue to use them and there were definitely different pastes like graphite, pigments, and hone dust that were used back in the day. On the other hand many people today refused to use anything but a hone and leather. If that's your thing there is nothing wrong with that. For me I both shave right off the stone/strop and use a balsa strop with pigments. Nothing wrong with that either.