Little background first. I have recently been shaving from my 8K Norton for a few weeks. I have blunted the edge and reset the bevel a few times on 4 separate razors and seem to be setting a good bevel and achieving a shave ready edge on a repeatable basis. (Note* I have not had the opportunity to hone a wedge or a large smiling blade yet). My next experiment is going to be using lather on the 8K, and will probably give that a go this next weekend.

My question is...... what next? I have been doing a lot of reading and am pretty well decided on acquiring a Suehiro Gokumyo 20k. While I am interested in the natural finishers, I would like to start out with something that has a more guaranteed repeatability (especially for someone new to honing). I really don’t know if I should be looking for a bridging stone to fill the gap between the 8K and the 20K. It’s said people make the jump and is very doable, just not sure. Would a bridging stone reduce the wear on the 20K in a meaningful (and worthwhile) way?

As always, your time and thoughts are very much appreciated.