I agree - I've got about 6 straight razor's I've honed myself under my belt - and it is a love / hate experience for me.
I shave with one of mine, which are turning out very nice, then I shave with one from Valery at the Gentleman's Den, and I've entered into an entirely different Universe...as RezDog mentions, for me, it is absolutely essential for my honing journey to have something to compare my efforts to, and you are correct, it comes down to practice, practice, practice...