By "shaves like poop" do you mean it's rough, tugging, not cutting well, etc.?

The reason I ask is that several that I've honed up have been a little rough coming off the 8K initially, but mellowed out after a shave or two. I know nothing of arkie's so I can't comment there. Either way, you should be able to get a smooth, comfortable shave off the 8K by itself.

Also, are you stropping after honing or shaving directly off the stone? Depending on which way you're doing things, I'd do the opposite and see if it has any effects i.e. if you're stropping after honing without a shave test, try going at it directly off the stones. If you see an improvement, focus on your stropping. If you're going straight from the stones, try stropping and see if the edge mellows a bit.