Oops, sorry, I didn't read your entire post, and didn't realize you had the additional hones. Just use the soft arkansas for the rough honing, then once it's popping hairs you can move to the swaty, then to the pasted strop. You don't mention which swaty you've got, or what grits you've got on the paddle, but once you leave the swaty then move to the 1 micron side of the paddle.