Take this with a grain of salt:
I've got Shun's Elite Chef's knife and Santoku in clad SG-2 steel at Rc 64. Shun's web site claims a 16 degree bevel (32 inclusive), and I have no reason to doubt the claim. Finicky sharpener that I am, both knives now have my own fully blended convex bevel, starting flush with the main body of the blade, and ending with about 16 degrees at the edge. Both knives easily chop 3" fine hanging hairs and will continue to do so after light use. After heavier use on the cutterboard, they still easily shave arm hairs. For sharpening, there are really 2 tasks: establishing the bevel, and then maintaining the bevel.
The first is worlds more difficult because of the extremely shallow angles as you approach the blade body. My technique was to mask the blade 1/4" back from the edge with thin clear plastic packaging tape, taking care that there were no folds or creases. I used HF's belt sander with a 320x 3M mylar belt to establish multiple step bevels, then smoothed them into a continuous convex bevel with Norton's 1000 grit waterstone. At such shallow angles, it's easy to grind a swale or recurve with the sander. The waterstone helps with the control. An all waterstone job (Norton 220/1000/4000/8000) shouldn't be that much more work, and should give terrific control. Finish with a strop charged with 1/2 u diamond paste, and you should get some seriously sharp cutlery.
The beauty of this type of edge is that maintenance is a snap. A couple of passes on a worn 9 u belt, finishing with a strop, takes a lightly worn edge back to original shape. Waterstones and a manual strop should work nearly as well.
If a belt sander or waterstones aren't to your liking, I'd suggest diamond hones. On everything else you might try, my experience is too limited to offer an opinion.
Oh, BTW: I wouldn't let even a glass-smooth polished steel near my Shuns ... or your Hattori.
