Originally Posted by
roughkype
I agree with Ace, and I agree with Jerry. For what you describe, the Naniwa 12k would be perfect. It's a generous size, 8 x 3" or so, much bigger than barber hones, and it's as fast as a barber hone. But Yes, the 4k/8k is a real workhorse too, and getting a good shave off the 8k side is a good measure of your honing ability.
Just as blades don't come shave ready from the factory, hones don't come razor-ready from the factory. You'll also need something to lap it flat with; most of us use a 325-grit diamond plate from DMT. There are other makers; the ones that cost more are reliably flat but the ones that cost less than DMTs are not reliably flat. You can count on the DMT being flat. On a Norton 8k, I've heard that you have to take off 3 or 4 mm from the surface to get to nice grit; something about the manufacturing process makes the very outside suboptimal. The cheaper lapping solution is some 400-grit wet/dry sandpaper on a polished tile, or a piece of glass, or something else you trust to be extremely smooth and flat. Keep it wet as you lap your hone.
I've got the Naniwa 12k and a Norton 4/8 and they're both great hones. I think I'll swing toward Ace's original advice, and guess that the 12k will be your best solution. Maybe a few (6 to 8) strokes on it every other week; don't wait until you think the blade NEEDS work; then it might be too late and you might really need the 4k side of the Norton.
Best wishes to you.