I 2nd that bevel is the foundation of the razor's edge. When I first started it took me a while to figure out why a NOS razor was so hard to sharpen...until I got aggressive enough to cut that first bevel correctly on new or NOS blades. Technique for 1rst bevel differs greatly than regular honing IMO and experience. For me I have found a superfine diamond hone and the Japanese honing technique to work best for that 1rst bevel, especially if your hone is over 3" wide in diameter and at least 8". The bevel 1rst cut should be almost sharpness level to shave, then building on that foundation the pyramid honing/polishing with fine water stones (or other) will take the edge to hair popping sharpness. As with all razor honing pressure must be light to not distort geometry, then polishing gets even lighter as you progress to the final stages of polish/honing.
Stropping is the final steps to really polish up the honed edge.