I have both. You can shave off an SB edge but the Shapton 16K takes it up a notch or two in sharpness.
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Guess that depends on what exactly you're going for. I've read that Shaptons can leave a rather harsh edge that takes a lot of stropping or several shaves to become comfortable again. Of course that's going to vary based on how sensitive your face is, and some people like that level of sharp. By contrast, my Arkansas stones leave an edge that is perhaps a little prickly at first, but still very nice in it's own right.
Fair point, I have a pitch black stone that I never would've guessed was translucent. The only give away was a shiny silver streak that wasn't visible until after a simple green bath, aside from that it looks like a surgical black stone. Until a light is put up to it and you can see just a faint amount of light passing through the stone.
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