No doubt honing takes trial and error. It is also mind-numbing at times. Everyone has different taste's. Glad you found your type of blade. I tried shaving with DE blades once threw them all out and will never return. Goes both ways. I can also definitely say all of my razors I shave with are sharp enough. If not I touch them up and they are well sharp enough. One problem you may have is you really have to try different hones to get the sharp you like. If machine sharpened is what you enjoy then stick with it, try to enjoy the process of shaving, not just enjoy the after effects. Good luck!