This tip was too good not to try. BTW, I picked up a (free) piece of scrap plate glass from a local glass shop about 3" x 12" x 1/4" thick & used that as a flat reference surface underneath 1 sheet of newsprint. I have no way of measuring but I think I can feel the difference w/my thumb (feels scary sharp). This is certainly cleaner than mixing cocoa abrasive. To recap, my sharpening procedure is now:
1. remove the factory edge w/600 grit silicon carbide stone
2. smooth it with white Arkansas stone
3. polish the cr@p out of it w/polishing compound on denim on glass (several hundred strokes)
4. more polishing w/newspaper on glass
5. strop on leather
Assuming that the cocoa & the newspaper are roughly equivalent, I am doing (5) before each shave and (4) about twice / week. I have not yet had to repeat (3) or (2), and will probably never have to repeat (1). I am guessing that I will need to do (3) once a month, but that's just a guess. Also, my beard is very tough & is hard on blades (I only used to get about 3 decent shaves out of a disposable).