Hey, that's progress. :thumbup:
I know you probably don't want to hear this now, but don't ever fret over something that works. There's a valuable lesson in that, and no argument for 'it is very sharp now'. The cutting never lies, and discovering a noticeable improvement in sharpness is always the best-possible feedback.
Wet/dry sandpaper would likely be my finishing preference for this steel, if this knife were mine. I like using diamond hones for establishing the new bevels, but almost always do the refining with somewhat 'gentler' abrasives, appropriate to the steel. For most mid-range popular cutlery steels, like 154cm, the SiC or AlOx abrasives of wet/dry paper suit that very well. It is possible to over-do it with diamond on most steels anyway.
I'm not saying diamond can't work well or even excellently (it will). But there's nothing wrong in tailoring choice of abrasive to the particular steel, so the chances of over-grinding or over-polishing are minimized. The cosmetic issues of uneven bevels and such will be minimized down the road, as one becomes more comfortable with the tools and techniques. Focus on 'sharp' first, and the 'pretty' will eventually take care of itself.
David
David, thank you for the kind words. So often I deal with people both on the internet and IRL that can only except perfection as a result. To see someone say that what works is good is almost a shock. I may carry the knife tomorrow to see how it performs. Though I do need to re-Loctite the thumb stud as I had removed it for sharpening.
Heavyhanded, Mag G and every one else thank you also.
I wish there was a chart on here that listed what stones and grits go well with the different steels. Like the Grand Unified Grit Chart but listing, say, all the stones and abrasives across the top. Then you would come down to your steel. Hmm, grit would need to be in there as well. Just an idea I have had.