Thanks for your responses fellas. It has been informative and helpful. okay, so since the coti may be near/equal to the C12...Would it be a wiser use of funds to just go towards the higher grit Shapton hones such as a 16k or even a 30k?

30k's are pricey...as are a lot of the natural stones. What makes them worth it? Wouldn't the ultimate goal be to move towards the sharpest, smoothest shave? Is it really just a matter of preference?

Do the Japanese stones move to a higher grit than the Belgium stones?

For those of you with experience...would you prefer your cotis or the higher grit like a 30k? I have heard that the 16k can be "harsh."