Originally Posted by
Marshal
Since you already have the black on hand, I would say get it burnished and tested before buying another expensive stone. Unless you just want a translucent on hand to compare and contrast. Typically folks go soft > hard > finisher, or with a sharp blade that just needs a quick refresh - hard > finisher. So if it's not making a good shaving edge it might be worth replacing. But I wouldn't burn time doing a few hundred laps on a translucent then shift to a black or vice versa.
At any rate, density is key not coloring with novaculite. That grey rock just might surprise you when it's burnished. Those are some pretty stones, especially the one on the right. Is that the hard Arkie?