So I wound up chatting with @Vberch as he picked up a couple of straights from me to get started on this happy path. He had some questions and (after checking with him) I thought I'd answer here in case anyone else cares to chime in (and in case my rambling could be helpful to anyone else as this takes a while to put into words).
I have a couple of JNATs I like (and used to hone your razors) but I also have a few coticules that give a really skin-friendly edge except I can never quite get it sharp enough so I use a hard black Arkansas to bump it up that extra bit. I've also built the balsa strops from the thread I linked above but I find them too unforgiving and prefer a more relaxing shave experience. Before any of this I go through this synth progression: Shapton Glass 500 (if needed), Shapton Pro 2k, Shapton Glass 6k, Naniwa SS 10k.
I actually started similar to your situation: I bought them for knives first. The choices I made were based on skimming the Internet a bit and digesting people's opinions on stones (though I went for splash and go as I wanted to be able to hone on a whim). It seemed like the Shapton Pro stones were a better deal than glass, except people didn't seem to much like the Pro 5000. So I got the 5k in glass. They loved the pro 2k though so I went for that. And I was convinced the Atoma 400 would be good to keep them flat but heard diamond plates leave deep scratches so I'd best reserve it for the blades needing heavy work. Was concerned the pro 320 would be worse for the atoma and people seemed to really like the glass 500.
So I wound up really pleased with my choices and they carried over well for straights--I make a lot of use of a triplet loupe to examine the edge as I go and I can confirm the 500 leaves a way way waaaaay cleaner bevel than the atoma and that the 2k follows it up handily. The glass 6k also worked out well, it's fast enough that it's no great hardship to remove the 2k scratches on it.
Upon getting into straights I steered clear of Shapton as I'd seen a lot of posts recommending against their stones for straight razors. Instead, people prefer Naniwa, most accessibly the 12k super stone. I got the 10k because I was concerned about the jump from 6k, because it was recommended by a reputable razor dealer, and because I saw a video where Ulrik of Koraat fame was using it and figured if it was good enough to finish those razors it's good enough for me. Didn't hurt that it was cheaper. I can shave off of it fine though it benefits from a bit of stropping on paste and is also what I often use before finishing up on a natural stone. But I had to glue to acrylic because 10mm is too thin for a stone and it warps otherwise. Also not my favourite feeling stone, not bad or anything and doesn't really affect the results, just kinda plasticy.
So for you I'd suggest looking into a nice 8k. People seem to really like the Naniwa Fuji for that (look around the various 8k threads here). There is also the Naniwa Junpaku / snow white that is widely appreciated but it can develop issues. Impression I get is that people can get a very satisfying shaving edge straight from that stone and you can always touch it up with chromium oxide paste (as you mentioned doing for your knives, it's the green stuff, though not all CrOx is fine enough for razors - some can have impurities/larger particles apparently, worth a shot though).
I'd say not to bother with a 12k+ synth yet as that 8k should suffice to start, but if you're curious about a finer synth, 1µ lapping film is just as good as any 12k and far more economical. Plus it's as flat as whatever you put it on. There's a whole thread on it: Lapping film, try it. - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/lapping-film-try-it.283576/
Indeed, you could just use that 1µ film to touch up your razors once stropping on paste stops bringing them back and not need to buy any stones. If you wanted to start from bevel set and put an edge on something that has been sitting for decades, either of the 8k or 3µ film will be fine after your 5k.
If you just get films for now while you're getting the hang of honing that saves you money to get natural stones instead. A lot of time I'll go right to my coticules from 6k and it makes a fine pre-finisher (though it takes a bit of slurry to start) so it can take the place of that 8k. And you don't need a ginormous one, a 6" x 2" coti is probably cheaper than a nice 8k anyhow. If you like the edges I sent you, those are both JNAT.
I have a couple of JNATs I like (and used to hone your razors) but I also have a few coticules that give a really skin-friendly edge except I can never quite get it sharp enough so I use a hard black Arkansas to bump it up that extra bit. I've also built the balsa strops from the thread I linked above but I find them too unforgiving and prefer a more relaxing shave experience. Before any of this I go through this synth progression: Shapton Glass 500 (if needed), Shapton Pro 2k, Shapton Glass 6k, Naniwa SS 10k.
I actually started similar to your situation: I bought them for knives first. The choices I made were based on skimming the Internet a bit and digesting people's opinions on stones (though I went for splash and go as I wanted to be able to hone on a whim). It seemed like the Shapton Pro stones were a better deal than glass, except people didn't seem to much like the Pro 5000. So I got the 5k in glass. They loved the pro 2k though so I went for that. And I was convinced the Atoma 400 would be good to keep them flat but heard diamond plates leave deep scratches so I'd best reserve it for the blades needing heavy work. Was concerned the pro 320 would be worse for the atoma and people seemed to really like the glass 500.
So I wound up really pleased with my choices and they carried over well for straights--I make a lot of use of a triplet loupe to examine the edge as I go and I can confirm the 500 leaves a way way waaaaay cleaner bevel than the atoma and that the 2k follows it up handily. The glass 6k also worked out well, it's fast enough that it's no great hardship to remove the 2k scratches on it.
Upon getting into straights I steered clear of Shapton as I'd seen a lot of posts recommending against their stones for straight razors. Instead, people prefer Naniwa, most accessibly the 12k super stone. I got the 10k because I was concerned about the jump from 6k, because it was recommended by a reputable razor dealer, and because I saw a video where Ulrik of Koraat fame was using it and figured if it was good enough to finish those razors it's good enough for me. Didn't hurt that it was cheaper. I can shave off of it fine though it benefits from a bit of stropping on paste and is also what I often use before finishing up on a natural stone. But I had to glue to acrylic because 10mm is too thin for a stone and it warps otherwise. Also not my favourite feeling stone, not bad or anything and doesn't really affect the results, just kinda plasticy.
So for you I'd suggest looking into a nice 8k. People seem to really like the Naniwa Fuji for that (look around the various 8k threads here). There is also the Naniwa Junpaku / snow white that is widely appreciated but it can develop issues. Impression I get is that people can get a very satisfying shaving edge straight from that stone and you can always touch it up with chromium oxide paste (as you mentioned doing for your knives, it's the green stuff, though not all CrOx is fine enough for razors - some can have impurities/larger particles apparently, worth a shot though).
I'd say not to bother with a 12k+ synth yet as that 8k should suffice to start, but if you're curious about a finer synth, 1µ lapping film is just as good as any 12k and far more economical. Plus it's as flat as whatever you put it on. There's a whole thread on it: Lapping film, try it. - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/lapping-film-try-it.283576/
Indeed, you could just use that 1µ film to touch up your razors once stropping on paste stops bringing them back and not need to buy any stones. If you wanted to start from bevel set and put an edge on something that has been sitting for decades, either of the 8k or 3µ film will be fine after your 5k.
If you just get films for now while you're getting the hang of honing that saves you money to get natural stones instead. A lot of time I'll go right to my coticules from 6k and it makes a fine pre-finisher (though it takes a bit of slurry to start) so it can take the place of that 8k. And you don't need a ginormous one, a 6" x 2" coti is probably cheaper than a nice 8k anyhow. If you like the edges I sent you, those are both JNAT.
. I need to read and study first to understand it better.
