Originally Posted by
eKretz
Well it's just a trade-off really. One must decide what one wants to do with the stone and prep it accordingly. By knocking down those microscopic high points you lose cutting speed for sure - no argument there. But you also get a more comfortable shave. Leaving the high points (IOW, not burnishing the stone) gives you better cutting speed, but a less comfortable shave. I keep my black and translucent Arks prepped with one side burnished and the other lapped with 320 SiC loose grit - it's the best of both worlds IMO. And really, as the stones are used more and more, if the coarse sides don't get periodically refreshed with 320 SiC, they lose massive amounts of cutting speed quite rapidly, so it happens whether the stones are burnished intentionally or not.