Howard, thank you for a great reply, it must have taken a while to type that out and again it's much appreciated.
In the quest for the perfect edge my initial thoughts are that with so many honing and sharpening products available it has made a relatively simple process of blade sharpening a complicated task. From various grits and types of honing block to lapping and sharpening pastes it really does just boil down to a moderatly sized sharpening system where a bevel setter (1,2or 3k) and a finisher (8,10,12k) a decent strop and a bit of skill and technique is all that is required for a barbers edge for 99% of us mere mortal folk.
The remaining one percent of folk using other specialised products are the honemiesters seeking a super shiny mirror like perfect finish that justifies a chargeable service.
I shall practice and let you know how I get on.
Thank you all kindly once again.