FWIW I not only hone my razors but also knives made out of really hard metals similiar to straights and the chinese 12k I think is waaaay underrated when it comes to grit size the funny part is it doesn't seem to get a straight real sharp but gives a really fine scratch pattern as can be seen on the photos posted in tim zowadas site. My opinion on the matter of the ch12k is that the edge it provides isn't the best for beards, I myself have found that to my liking the best edges come from a dubl duck hone I just got but thats just me in terms of comfort and when it comes to natural hones it is also important to note that the cutting material breaks down and becomes finer. A trick my sushi chef taught me is to use a nagura (I use a diamond plate mini ) and work the mud for a good while and that should break down the particles this happens also with artificial hones and is more noticeable on stones similiar to naniwas. Sorry for the long boring post. BTW this is most notable on non other than natural japanese hones (I think this was the chef blowing his own horn though but who knows)