Joe, can you explain the pyramid part? You do one 5/5, or reps? Is the goal of pyramiding with these two stones to couple the smoothness of the TOS-edge with the sharpness of the Norton 8K, and alternating to maximize both without overhoning? Sorry if that's a stupid question. Finally, do you then finish with something else, or stop there?


Yes, that's it exactly. Using the TOS rather than the 4k in my pyramid (5TOS, 5 8k, 4TOS, 5 8K...and so on) seems to maximize the polishing effects for me. It's much less aggressive than the 4k, and cuts much slower, so I get a better polish. Plus, I got into the habit of doing it that way when honing a couple Wackers, which are very hard and prone to chipping. The TOS is, to me the best hone around for those types of blades, because it reduces the risk of overhoning (you almost can't with this stone), and I wound up incorporating it into my honing cycle more out of habit than anything else. So far, I'm happy with the results I get. I do follow that pyramid with a coticule and an Escher, then on to strops.