i picked up double sided tape, scotch tape, not the foam kind. I plan on picking up lapping film and trying the combo out.
I’ve seen your problem and the responses to it and it seems to me that taping a blade with wet stones would be counter productive because I don’t think you can find tape that will hold up to the constant motion of the sharpening process especially if you are come into the edge instead of away from the edge. Any abrasive that is caught under the edge of the tape has to cause problems. I have limited experience but have had great results by using kangaroo strops and only 1 deg. more acute angle with very light pressure. The kangaroo is harder and thinner than leather and balsa, and doesn’t bend over the cutting edge as much as the other 2. Have you had problems without taping using wet stones in the past? I get a very crisp line that eliminates all scratches with the for mentioned method. Interested in hearing your opinion and solutions to your problem.
Any I idea where the buffing came from, Josh. Your hypothesis sounds reasonable and I think I’ve noticed it too. I never had a marker line I couldn’t remove with acetone, so Clay’s theory could be correct.
Only clamping the blade without tape seems a bit risky.
Josh - I think there may be something different going on - do you happen to have a “before” picture of the edge? The waves in the blade make it look more like left over, but hidden polish marks from the maker as they prepared and polished the blade.. The residue from the choseras would not cause a mirror finish on the waves if you simply wiped it off, especially with a clean tissue every time.
I have never observed this effect with the lapping films. I skipped the leather strop (Only used for convexing now) and Chosera generation and don’t know what I am missing. I’m very satisfied with the Lapping Film. As TCMeyer has said above, I have three sets of glass platens and they are so easy to use. I also have a few sets for many other lapping films I am experimenting with. They are clean, they last longer than you would think, and are easy to use (No tape necessary other than to protect the blade from the clamp). My only observation with the glass is that you must make sure the edges are rounded. One of my glass platens had sharp edges that where scratching the blade with each pass. After scratching the hell out of a non customer blade (Thankfully) A little sand paper corrected the problem. It took me a week to figure it out. Just one corner was sharp on one glass platen.
I did have a idea however. Why not color the whole shoulder with the sharpie to help protect the finish during the sharpening process. With a little alcohol it should come off without damage. The marker will protect the shoulder from the tiny abrasive caught under the tape if that is the problem. My thinking is that the marker itself could provide a thin protective film over the shoulder. At the very least, it could just be used as a diagnostic for further discovery. It is a weird effect that shouldn’t be happening thanks for sharing it Josh. 
The scratches caused by the glass is what drove me to using brass as a platen surface. Mine are entirely home-made, so all of my glass edges were sharp. Going to brass was a huge improvement. Aluminum would be just as good.
I think I’ve explained before that I stretch the PSA film really tight when I place it on the platen. The film is soft and if not anchored securely on the platen will produce a pressure wave as you firmly move it across the bevel shoulder. I’m guessing this is what’s causing the polishing above the shoulder
No offense bud, I’ve been known to waste a few thousand on some dumb stuff, but… what do you get for 10K in a knife? Is this the OJ commiserative series or what?