Help! Norton 1k 4k 8k strop

I've shaved with str8s for several years. My barber was kind enough for years to keep my razors in tip top shape, when needed.
He's no longer with us, so I've been reading your forums and purchased the norton kit.
I read, it is best for a new goner to start out with a "dull" razor. Taking glass"jar or bottle" and making a couple light downward cuts to " dull " the razors. Then setting the bevel with the 1k then progressing through the next stones then to strop.
I've marked the edge with a black sharpie and honed with 1k until the sharpie had disappeared . Then on the 4k polish out until uniform, and then the same with the 8k.
I've even "cheat"and lay my strop on a flat surface to keep from rounding my edge. I have stop pastes on my canvas, red on one side, black on the opposite side.
I'm getting the razors super sharp, but not comfortable to shave. They do shave, but nowhere near the glide when Mr. Benton did my honing.
I'm keeping my elbows up when honing. I'm letting the stone "do the work" no forcing or hurrying things" I don't think. What am I doing wrong? The blades I have a great metal blades. Double Ducks, Wade & Butchers, Henckels, Bokers, Wostenholms, Dovos, ect....
It's very disheartening to watch videos, read forums and get so close and fail.
Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I don't know there you read that it's best to dull your blades before you start, but that is a practice I totally disagree with. Setting the bevel is the hardest part, and if you dull the blade it's something you must do. Far easier to just touch up blades that already have a well set bevel.

Anyway, learning to hone takes time. Imagine how many razors your barber must have honed to reach the level he's at. If you take it slow, stop when you get frustrated, and come back with a clear head, you should be just fine. Read up on honing techniques or watch vids from well respected members, and you'll get there eventually.

As a side note, you can definitely get a close, smooth, comfortable shave off of the Norton 8k, and I would not recommend buying anything else until you can, but your barber most likely had a finer finishing hone. So that compared to your 8k, and his skill compared to yours, means you really shouldn't be expecting your razors to shave like the ones he honed for you. At least not yet...

I wouldn't dream of setting a bevel unless I need to. I think that advice is for people who are buying cheap ebay razors purely for honing practice, not for people who are just trying to keep their one or two daily razors shave ready. So far I haven't done any more than touch ups on the 8K side of my Norton & I'm hoping I don't have to do anything but that for a long time. It doesn't give me a lot of honing practice but if it keeps my blade sharp enough to shave with I'm perfectly happy.

Honing on the 1k until the ink has disappeared is not the same thing as setting the bevel. The magic marker test is just to see if you are making contact evenly along the edge, and not missing out any of it. To test if the bevel is set, you need to use a thumb nail test, thumb pad test, and/or arm hair test. If the razor doesn't easily cut arm hair, you haven't set the bevel properly yet, and going up to a higher grit stone won't help until it is.

The tests are explained on this library page: Sharpness tests explained.

Since you dulled the razor you will need to start all the way from the beginning.
Keep in mind old barber hones are on ebay and barbers used them to touch up razors, once your razor is sharp it's all you really need. You can also use the 8k side of your norton but some barber hones can be finer. As advised, dont buy more stones for now!
Make sure your stones are flat.
I do not see that you flattened your stones? The nortons need a lot of lapping, so get flat and smooth enough for a razor.
Search on how to lap hones on this site
once flat set a bevel
the razor must shave arm hair from toe to heel easily for a set bevel

Then use the 4000 stone
you must stay on there until you are done. Try the 8000 side and if it turns black you were not done on the 4k and must go back.

Once the 8000 stone stays clean make 20-30 very light strokes.
Finish by stropping on CLEAN linen and thrn leather. Forget pastes until you can shave off the stone.

You need to soak the nortons in water for 20-25 minutes before use...

Unfortunately all you needed was to touch up the razor on a finishing stone or barber hone but by dulling the bevel you went back wards.

Good luck. Pm me if you need help!

The idea of dulling the razor on glass was started by a guy who is no longer around here. His rational was that if the razor was already fairly sharp the honer wouldn't know if it was his honing that brought it up to speed or the existing edge already being close to it. I always figured that helping the razor to get dull before its time was counter productive.

Thanks guys! Yes my barber was tip top on razors. A matter of fact I have all his razors . I have not lapped my stones. The black on the 8k... Very helpful. All of the above is helpful. All advise is great to a entry level honer. Again thanks for your time to reply