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Great job, I'm glad you got the situation solved. 18° is good, but 16.5° without tape should be ok as well. By applying tape you got the advantage of a new bevel, that started to develop right at the very edge. Should you ever choose to return to the untapped situation, the action will be reverse: the bevel at lower angle will than starts to grow from below, and the very edge will be the last to respond.
I'm only making this remark to explain that you can't subscribe your success solely to the augmented bevel angle. It was a bit easier to hone, but in the end it was you who has put on a great edge, not those 18°.