The shaptons or naniwas (unless I'm shopping in the wrong place) would cost roughly a third more.

Are they really that much better? This is where I'm going with the "value" thing. In what way are they better? Is it in ease of use, being more idiot proof, or do they require less maintenance, or really put that much better of an edge.

As for the pasted strop, I have been having the same thoughts. I have a very heavy linen canvas strop with white paste on one side, and red on the other, and after 1 week of stropping and shaving with bad technique, 10 passes on red side brought the edge right back to where it was when I bought it here in the classifieds.