Why do I have to get my secret key each time I open Safari?

Hey @nealg, sorry for the delay in replying. It sounds like you've run into some unexpected issues with 1Password 8. If you're open to it, I would love to have you reinstall 1Password 8 and then I can help investigate anything that comes up. Let me know if this is something you're interested in!

I have the problem though it appears I am stuck with the later Safari Extension which continually stalls and also requires my secret key each time I start Safari.

Hmm could you clarify if you were asked to enter your Account Password by itself, or both your Account Password and Secret Key? Were you asked for these details even if the app opened and unlocked?

I reinstalled V7 Safari extension but it will not stay in my Safari menu, or only appears then disappears every few seconds.

Can you open Safari > Preferences > Extensions and check if you have both the 1Password and the 1Password for Safari extensions enabled? If you're using only 1Password 7, you must disable 1Password for Safari, as it is not built to work well with 1Password 7. If you're using 1Password 8, you must disable the extension labelled as 1Password. With 1Password 8, you'll have to use 1Password for Safari, so please keep that one enabled.