Bart,
This is a really interesting thread. Promise me you won't do more than a few strokes when you realize you're shaving with the 1200-grit edge...
I agree with what you're saying about the V-shaped grooves of the DMT vs. the rounded grooves left by the natural hones. I think that's why a coticule or escher edge is more comfortable than an edge from an artificial hone. There's also a connection between the shape of the abrasive particles and how easily a hone creates a wire edge--I can't proove it, but I know it.
Keep up the good work,
Josh