Hey there SRP forum, thanks for having me. I'ts great to have fellow enthusiasts from which to glean knowledge. It makes the journey that much more enjoyable.

So I've invested in a pretty decent collection of stones over the years, but just can't seem to tweak out a truly smooth edge. I had purchased a $50 high carbon razor from vintage straight razor, and felt the need to regrind the bevels. I have essentially worked through the below grit progressions and strops, but I am having difficulty eliminating each previous stone's scratch patters, so when I finally get to the kangaroo strop, I have an edge that is polished but scratched as viewed under my loop. It pops arm hair, but pulls at facial hair and creates wicked burn. It cannot begin to accomplish the 'hanging hair test', which I understand in itself is not always the ultimate indicator. Anyway, it would appear that although I spent significant time on each stone, I'm not completely eliminating the scratches. I understand it could be a lack of technique as well; I've heard some suggest circular motions on lower grit to establish bevels followed by the standard back/forth edge leading strokes. Thanks again for any feedback.

So my lineup is as follows:
1. Nubatama Bamboo 150 grit
2. Chosera 400 grit
3. Amakusa (Japanese natural, approx 1K), I also have a King 1K.
4. Softer/muddy Jnat "finishing stone" approx 3K - 4K
5. Shobu San (approx 8K)
6. Ozuku (approx 10K - 15K)
7. Split hide strop w/green chromium oxide
8. Kangaroo strop w/CBN spray, 0.125 micron