Warren in Lancaster, PA
All of the high quality planing, carving, chisel work, that I have seen has been done with tools sharpened with Arkansas stones or Japanese water stones. And I am not talking about Shaptons or other harsh stones, rather I am talking about more traditional Japanese stones.

Sharpening is not about "proper" technique or not; sharpening is an art that requires skill, discernment, and devotion. You just can't follow some flowchart and expect exceptional results. Concentration both during sharpening and during use is needed to learn these skills.