Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
It is very common to use film for the progression but set the bevel on stones, so your idea is not just a shot in the dark. You can also use high quality wet/dry sandpaper for setting the bevel, but I suggest experimenting with an expendable razor first, and sticking with a brand that gives you good results. I have gone both ways and prefer my Suehiro, Kuromaku, and Chosera coarse stones over sandpaper and even over film. A stubborn razor can burn through a piece of 12μ or 15μ film and still not have a bevel. Results from 60μ and 30μ films are not always as consistent as the more common grits. Once the bevel is set, film wears pretty slowly. So stones make sense for edge repair and bevel setting, even if you otherwise like film. 1k and 2k red resin type sandpaper is good for the newbie who wants to get his foot in the door cheaply. Sandpaper should be stuck to the plate with a very light spritz of spray adhesive as water doesn't stick it as good as it does film.It's probably safe to say a great finishing stone in the right hands will beat a film edge most if not all the time. The challenge is finding a great finisher and learning how to use it. This becomes less of an issue if you are using the diamond pasted balsa method at the end of your progression. My experience has been that a good "Method" edge is pretty close to a very good natural edge. Different, but good.
I have honed 20 or 21 razors from bevel set to finish on film (8.5x11 sheets cut in thirds) and I still have at least one strip of each grit left untouched. However the bevel setting ranges have definitely worn out quicker and I'm considering buying a stone in the 1k range rather than more film.