Thanks to DaveW I now have a Welsh 15k? and a PHIG as well as my Thuringian. So I am testing. I am honing up to 8k then using one finisher after another. First iteration Chinese/Welsh/German. Hands down the Thuri is magnitudes sharper and smooth as a hot knife thru butta. I am shaving the hollows under my chin and around the point ATG to assess the blade. Next will be the Welsh/Chinese/German.

Given I have a lot of time on the German and nearly no time with the others it is to be expected the German would come out ahead but I didn't think it would be so noticeable. The Welsh is notably smoother than the Chinese even given the Chinese 120 passes. The Chinese hone has only marginally improved the 8K shave. Obviously I need much more practice with them for this to have any meaning to my mileage at all and of course YMMV.

My hope is to discover something close to or better than the "magic escher" as I have the secret honemeister chant memorized. So far this is more like the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" than "Harry Potter" but I still have hope for a happy ending.