Pandora's box has been opened...stand clear!
First off, pretty much every knifemaker has their own way of getting to sharp. Some are obviously better at it than others.
To my mind, a solid understanding of basic mechanics/feedback of sharpening is more important than the specific process or the exact media involved. It seems almost ironic that we can go to such great lengths to chase this type of understanding for each and every step of making a knife, but then sometimes lay down at the end for fear of scratching up that perfect finish. No way around the idea that a thoughtful edge is a primary goal in the making of working knives and worth every moment we can spend on it.
I can't speak to any of the boxed systems personally, but hand sharpening is an aquired skill. Nothing replaces time spent with your chosen gear IMHO. It really is that simple once you're clear on what you want to do.
Practice in matching your edge geometry and polish to the particular alloy and the intended work can't be replaced by all the tube vids, books, fool-proof turn-key systems, etc out there.
If the bevels you form now are too wide, either you have chosen an inclusive bevel angle that is too acute or possibly your edges were too thick before 1st sharpening. Easy solution either way. If they are uneven, it could be slightly variable edge thickness in your blades or maybe poor use of narrow sharpening media on a uniform edge.
My solution is to grind my edges very thin after HT, sharpen by hand and typically test the hell out of them before final finishing. They all fail, it is just when/how, so I appreciate the opportunity to do some serious cutting without fear of creating more work. It also gives me a chance to selectively thin shoulders some more, or maybe beef up tip strength, etc and retest before finishing. These get purposedly dulled after testing, but require only a few strokes to bring back to serious sharp and pretty after the leather is done.
I've tried a lot of different stones but these days most often reach for the 2.5" x 11" DMT plates. Steel type becomes irrelevant as all bows before diamond. I'll generally stop at extra fine (~CAMI 1200) and go to a strop loaded with 1500 loose SiC or green chrome oxide. I have been doing this awhile and still learn new stuff every time I start to pay serious attention.
One last thing, you see a lot of discussions on sharpening over the years that consistently overlook what is inevitable; how will the customer deal with maintaining that perfect edge once it is dull. That is worth more thought in itself, and maybe another thread sometime.
