Tuggy straights... Getting discouraged

The difference that you’re feeling with Glen’s edge is not so much the stone, but an immense amount of experience rubbing steel on stones. He could have gotten 95%+ of that edge on a Naniwa 12k.

I agree that you can save some money with the Suehiro Gokumyo 20k, it’s 0.50u vs 0.49u for the Shapton 30k, or either the 0.85u or 0.44u Shapton G7 if you don’t mind a smaller stone. The usually best place to buy the Gok 20k is MTC Kitchen, and Sharpening Supplies carry the G7 series.

 

I'm definitely open to suggestion regarding which stone to get. I have .3 and .1 balsa from whipped dog and some spare powder that I'll definitely be finishing all razors on after the stones.

I have a few full hollows.

 

Are you just looking for a finishing stone, or are you after a set of stones to get you through a progression?
If you like these ultra sharp edges i would just maintain the razor you got honed on the 30k shapton on 0.1 balsa. 10 to 15 laps once a week is probably all you need. Now you have something to compare it to if you start to hone your own blades.
You can do allot of work on just a finishing stone, but for me it is easier to do more of a progression. It is quite easy to do to much on a fast finishing stone. Some of them are a little hard to read.
The Shapton gs stones works grate as a system. They are by far the easiest stones i have used. You just need to be careful, because they cut fast at every grit level.
If you do not mind using smaller stones the gs7 is a really affordable option. If you do not plan on doing any bevel or chip removal, the 1.2 u (8k) and the 0.85 u (16-17K) will get you quite far. The 0.44 u (30k) might not give you much more then your balsa strops. If you plan on doing more heavy lifting adding the 6.7u (2k) will get you covered.
For corrective work a full size stone is really nice to have though, and if you do allot of honing on heavier grinds a coarser stone might make sense.

If you have a really tough beard a 30k edge might not be that durable. At this level of refinement the balsa adds some convexity to your edge, which makes it a little more durable. At this level of refinement you are really pushing the limits of what your steel can handle. The edges i have taken to this level usually drops off in performance quite fast if they are not maintained on something like balsa.

 

Here is the thing

Ask yourself WHY I said "Send the Torrey"

Because after honing over 30,000 razors I know the steel pretty well, most SR's can't hold a 30k edge in fact even the Gokuymo 20K is pretty high for them.. This why people experience drop off/harsh edges they are pushing the steel too far..

If you want edges that rival Feather edges then you need to buy SR's that have the Steel, Grind, and Temper to hold those edges

Look for NY made SR's
Other American razors will "usually" have the same steel

Little Valley made are going to give the finest edges.. the real plus is they are often overlooked on eBay and you get them for pretty cheap.. I have never paid more than $50 for a NY made Thistle and they will seriously slice and dice hair ... (HINT)

Japanese SR's are a very close second and some will hold the edge and give a smoother shave (I chase those)

The Swedes will hold the edge, but I would suggest, waiting a year or two because it takes a more experienced hand to keep them from being harsh at that level

There are some premium brands from Solingen that can hold those edges too but you are going to pay dearly for them

TI CarbonSong 135 steel can hold them if you want a new razor

Get/Make a LEATHER pasted Bench Strop, Balsa adds its own "Harsh" issues to an edge, at this level you should look into CBN spray for your strops

It is however a fine line between "Stupid Sharp" and "This is killing my face" just so you know, but mostly it is in the choice of steel

 

I already have...

Shapton Pro 1.5k, 5k, 8k, 12k
Norton 4/8
C12k little 2x4
1.5' x 9' coti

I never use the 12k though, I swear it makes my edges off the 8k worse. Maybe I'm doing something wrong, though. I've read in the forums other people having issues with Shapton pro 12k.

In any case, I should try to ponder the notion for a while. I tend to get excited by things (like a more comfortable SR shave) and impulsively buy yet more hardware. I'll endeavor to get past any honeymoon phases to see if I really prefer a traditional to my always sharp maintenance free Artist Club, but I'm certainly helpful for everybody's help and input. I'm going to shave with the Torrey exclusively for a while to see how long the edge can hold and be maintained with the balsa I currently have.

 

You will probably be able hold your Torrey going a long while if you maintain it on your balsa and leather.
You already have a really nice setup. Adding something like the Shapton G7 0.85 u might give you a little extra, but the problem might be that you have not maxed the performance of your 12k pro stone. A 12K pro stone and your balsa should get you to a rally sharp edge.
For what you need to pay for a full size 30K or Gokuymo 20K you can get a really nice JNAT, provided you find a good vendor or get some help. They are not that hard to use if you get a good one. The good ones can compete with the high grit synthetic stones, and give you a little more comfort as well.

I understand the hardware itch. I have had the Gokuymo 20K in my shopping cart many times It is a 0.5 micron stone, so more or less on par with the 30k shapton.

Just a little side note. Suehiro only have one stone in their lineup which they say was designed for razors as a finishing stone. That is the Suehiro Kouseki 10K. That is rated at 1 micron, which is quite close to a 12K stone. I am not saying the 20k is not suited for razors. The binder in this one is different. It is suppose to work well/better then some other stones with slurry. This gives it a little more range. To many temptations

 

I own both a Shapton glass 16k and Gokyumo 20k. Very similar stones producing very sharp edges. The Shapton edges feel just a hair sharper. I don’t own the Shapton glass 30k as the it’s big $$$.

 

If that C12k is one of those Chinese natural stones, I wouldn't classify that as 12k anyway. Haven't used mine since I got a thuri so I can't really remember if it helped my edges much after 8k or not.
You have a lot better setup than I did starting out, or now for that matter, so that is one less frustration.