I have several razors that i let get too dull (the others I have been maintaining with a swaty) so I realized it was time to work on learning honing, and while I have no issues keeping my knives sharp, honing razors is drastically different.

to get the best advice I will list what I have:

Norton 220/1000
norton 4000/8000
chinese 12K
Carborundum Razor hone (its marked for razors)
two line swaty
three line swaty
a counterfeit swaty (marked "the swaty three line hone")
Nagura stone

Jemico russian strop
tony Miller Latigo strop
vintage horsehide strop with cro2 paste on the back

all stones were lapped with either the norton flattening stone or sandpaper on a granite tile

I followed the "conservative pyramid" (4K/8K, I didnt use the 1k becasue the bevels were already set) with very light strokes using two fingers on the blade, then proceeded to 70 laps on the chinese 12K, the razors all passed TPT, but failed the HHT

I then stropped them on the cro2, and then on the horsehide, and they passed the HHT

shaving with them before the cro2 was uncomfotable, after the cr02 was much better, but not as smooth as when I received them "shave ready"

while it may seem I was successful to a degree, I am wanting to get them "shave ready" without using pastes, and am wondering if I should do more on the 8K or the 12 K? or should I have not followed the pyramid?

since I recieved the two line swaty I have been able to maintain all my other razors just fine, so I feel i am screwing up somewhere in the 4k/8k range, any advice is appreciated