There is always a lot of noise in sharpening threads but the one thing that beginners or even those who have been at it for a while have a problem with is what does sharp actually feel like. All those years ago when I started out I thought I knew what sharp was but it turned out I didn't and with changing methods and jigs etc I found a new level of sharpness several times and I bet money that some in this thread think they sharpen to an ultimate level but only sharpen to what they consider is sharp which is exactly what I do. What I am trying to say is that someone starting out has no standard to compare their results with someone who is good at it so he or she most probably stops when they think they have sharp. I saw a Japanese sharpening video years ago and it featured an American working & being taught in a sharpening workshop in Japan where that is all they did and it took years to get to the level that was considered excellent.
Chris
Everything I like is either illegal, immoral or fattening