Just some points to ponder, any media with use will get polished and shiny. A strop will develop a shine over use but I don't think that affects the job it does. In theory a rock has a certain hardness and whether it is polished or not will not change that hardness. I know with my hones I lap them to a shine and they work better in the sense that they seem to almost have a lubed surface but I have never noticed them to work differently as in a better edge whether they are polished or not. Now when I say polished as opposed to not polished I don't mean a hone that comes from the factory with a really rough surface I mean a good working surface and a truly polished one.