Originally Posted by
LawsonStone
Naturally I won't question your experience. Everyone agrees you ought to be able to shave off the 8K before moving to finish hones. But I was not talking about going from bevel-setting upwards, but rather from shave ready to "tired" etc.
Also, maybe you're missing something. I know of no professional honemeisters who stop with the 8K. Nearly all have one or more hones, films, or pastes up in the 10-12K range, many go farther.
8K makes the razor sharp, but most don't find it smooth. Also, if a razor has been finished on 12K or more (most hand-honed razors have) then dropping to the 8K potentially alters the razor more than you want just for a touch-up.
But then I'm still learning. I have tried for weeks to get the 8K + stropping both sharp and smooth. I got sharp, I couldn't get smooth. The 12K knocked it out of the park for me.
Mileage varies, of course!