Before you tackle sharpening, it's worth considering what you're trying to accomplish. "Sharp" means simply "suited to cutting".

There's no arbitrary standard of perfection you must reach, or be considered a failure, and there's no "right" method you must use, or stand accused of doing it wrong.

Sharpness is defined by results. If your chisel and plane irons cut wood easily and make you happy, they're sharp, and whatever you did to get them there was a right way to do it.