I recently came across a local vendor, not associated here, that offered honing services for razors. Just to pick his brain, I asked him what his honing progression was. He said he uses Nortons through 8k, then moves to a Chinese naturals for (roughly, I know) 12k and 15k, then a black Arkansas stone and finished with a Swaty.


??


I've been under the impression that:

A) Arkansas stones, although differing in density, only went to about 1500 in grit.

B) Swaty hones, despite generation (2 line, 3 line), were more coarse in grit than the PHIG or other Chinese natural stones, even though the PHIG cuts very slow.


I think I read somewhere that Arkansas Black Surgicals were the finest of the Novaculites, but would it depend more on the grit of stone used to lap the Arkansas?