Kaptain Zero I appreciate the reply I do, but I can confidently say that I know what tests work for me when it comes to edge tests .I am a skilled coticule user who never got the hang of the synthetics which led me to sell my sets of naniwa, norton, shapton all because I never took the time to learn and found coticule a lot easier and repeatable for me. Earlier I said that the edge felt off on the thumb pad and also wouldn't pass the HHT after 8k which fails both my tests before I try a shave test. If it passes at 1 and 4 there isn't a reason it would fail at 8k?

I just want to learn synthetics to have another arrow in the quiver so to speak.

If you YouTube the watercot method it's a little video I made on an easy way to get a nice shave. 1k to water only on a coticule. I've done the 1k shave test and I had little to complain about. I rather liked it.

I will make sure next time to remove all the previous scratches because I forgot that synthetic users are always looking at the scratch pattern. Usually I go for polish without worrying if previous scratches are removed since they come from the same hone.

I've got a long way to go to learn these stones but luckily I've got a solid base on what I want an edge to be and the tests that go along with it.

Scott