Originally Posted by
OCDshaver
Laurens is spot on as it relates to the expense of Jnats. Don't misunderstand, they are all expensive but not necessarily back breaking. You can get a small stone that will handle most, if not all, of your honing needs for under $150. If its worth it to you to jump into it is purely a measure of your current satisfaction. I got involved with these two options because my edges were simply not as good as the ones I was enjoying from the razors that were sent out to be honed by a pro. You hear time and again that you should be able to get a good shaving edge off of an 8k stone. That's true but it should not be confused with the edges that your pro honed razors will have. If you're like me and really want that level of sharp and comfort, you'll want to make that next step. There certainly are flavors of the month as it relates to stones. In the end, you have to find out what you like from a stone. I had a Zulu grey as well but preferred the edge from my Jnat. So I sold that stone. But other people may prefer to have that edge over a Jnat. If you are content with the results of a 12k stone, I'd stick with it until you have an opinion about where you'd like to go next or what kind of edge you'd like to have next. It'll help keep you out of the flavor of the month game.
EDIT: Also, as it relates to what you were asking about some razors not getting there with you current 12k stone, I had similar experiences. But when I got a Jnat, even the more problematic razors that didn't want to take that great edge off of the 12k suddenly were doing exactly what I was hoping for off of the Jnat. I had three or four such blades and all were solved with my my Jnat. I can't guarantee the same level of success for you but it solved my problematic issues.