Joed-It seems like everything is subjective with str8's. The Reynolds I have is so soft that even a few ultralight circles on my Norton 4/8 takes the edge very close to shave-ready. If I try to push the edge the least bit too far, much less than my others, I lose it and have to start again. The least little bit of rolling-x strokes, and poof, edge gone. Very strange, and probably just my inexperience. Still, I managed to put a pretty wicked edge on it with about 25 whisper-light strokes on a lathered dragon's tongue, and 10 on CrOx linen.
You do what it takes.