+1. BUT there are many stones that can produce great edges that may not be considered for finishing. For example some asagi or kiita stones are rated as finishers when they are actually softer than some suita stones. And why is a coticule considered a finisher then? The edges off my cotis(I have 3) are very soft yet sharp, although they don't approach the sharpness I get from my suitas. Not knocking cotis now, just saying. And hht root in or out from a suita isn't an indication of the blades ability to cut hair then? I know not everyone uses the hht but I do and compare always to what I get off my stones. So I would rate my sharpness off my suita at a 10 out of 10. Is my asagi or ozuku edge sharper? NO imo. And hardness is important as Vasili said regarding release of particles, yet my suitas don't release particles. So its a slippery slope. My dark blue Escher is also not in the range of my suita in terms of sharp either.