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1) SS blades or Carbon blades both shave great when optimally honed.
2) No a honed razor should not be all scratched up but you seem to be unsure if it came that way from the factory..

My point exactly. The Dovo color system is completely different to the molded bars you use ie the Dovo green is coarser than the black.

This is very generic information. Can you be more specific about these different coloured pastes you advise ? Colour is no indication of grit size

Good advice which you read all the time here is "just the weight of the razor" but the strop with a high draw may give you a different interaction to a strop that is icy slick. Still you need to...

Good advice tho you can safely put the razor down on a flat hard surface if it is closed to 45º or so. The scales will prevent the edge contacting.

Welcome to SRP
1.Factory honed means it will have an edge but not necessarily shave ready. No one at the factory will shave test the razor to check.
Professionally honed means the edge should be...