I have a couple of very basic questions:

1. It is likely a general consensus that having a scratch pattern at 45 degrees to the edge or thereabouts will let the blade cut better. If honing on a stone removes the scratch pattern from the previous, lower grit, stone, would, if someone honed along the hone on lower grits and just honed in an x-pattern or with heal leading on the last hone leave you with a final 45 degree scratch pattern that is just as good?

2. Second question is about test shaving. Do you test shave after the 8K (if you were using a norton, and after stropping on leather)? Or do you finish first as you would normally do with a higher grit finishing stone before each test shave?

These questions have been bugging me. Any clarification would be much appreciated.