Hi Doug!
It is difficult to answer the question with a yes or no. Some metals respond better to diamonds than they do to the stones and even between the Choseras and the Shaptons you will get different results. The stropping definitely adds to the polish and also tends to convex your edge the more you do it.
So here goes…once you get beyond the 1000 grit stones you enter the area where extreme sharpeners dream of polishing molecules so their edges shine like the sun and slice through things like a hot knife through butter. I believe it isn’t necessary to go beyond the strops as you ask, but after I sent my 4 knives to Clay for the sharpening test using the Shaptons and Chosera stones, I have to admit the edges he developed with those stones, paddles and strops altogether were of a very high order mirror finish and were as sharp as anything I have ever seen in 6 decades of looking bar scalpels made of obsidian used in surgery. Hmm! Now that I mention that, I will have one of those used on me soon and twice in the next 6 months. Then I will personally find out how sharp is sharp.
I don’t know if I even came lose to answering your difficult question, but I hope this helped.
Best regards
Leo
