Yeah you are right that 1500 isn’t really polished, it’s the stropping that gives that mirror finish. I use the leather ones loaded with 3.5 and 5 mu compounds and you can still faintly see the scratch pattern from the stones.
I always planned to get the ceramic stones as an intermediate step between the stones and strops but haven’t found it necessary given what they cost.
I don’t have to do a lot of cutting with my current job so my edges last ages so I don’t have to reprofile often.
Using the brown stones micro bevel and touch up gives decent bite at the apex but I do like the mirror look on the bevel.