I may have been exaggerating when I said 300 strokes on an Escher will do the same thing as a barber's hone but it depends on the color of the Escher and the barber's hones we're mentioning as well. The Dark blue Escher I once had was extremely slow and took a lot of slurried strokes (70 or more) to do what my YG would do in 20 strokes.
I only use my Eschers as an absolute finish polisher in my honing progression, sometimes after the 8K, Coticule, Jnat Oozuku Asagi combination that I've been using for a few months now. Coticules, to me, aren't fine enough to finish a razor alone but I like how they progress and lean my razors into my natural finishing progression which is why I use them. Some people may say that's nonsense...
When I use the Y/G Escher as a final polishing stone, I use about 40 strokes with slurry, I never really make less than that. I know for a lot of people I am someone that "uber finishes" their razors and that can be considered a waste of time, which is fine but I find I like the edges better when I progress through multiple finishing hones at the end of my Synthetic honing. The same thing can be said on how I recommend to use a barber's hone first to touch up the edge and then smooth it out on the Escher with slurry. I just think it's faster to use a barber's hone first and less prone to wearing the Escher stone that cost you $700.00 that is also a collectors item. It's true these stones were sold for a few dollars when they first came out and were intended to be used until gone but things change that mindset when there is a lot of money involved and as things become antique and collectible through popularity. I also doubt the creator of these hones knew they'd be used in a Naniwa 1K, Norton 4/8K, coticule, Jnat, Escher finish progression for a razor either...
Whatever works for you guys is fine by me!