Looking for a good finishing stone

I know that there an extremely wide variety of opinions on the finishing stones out there after one finishes with the 4/8k stones, and I am looking for a decent finishing stone, something in the 12k range. I will be soon trying my first "touch-up" on one of my razors (the only one I own right now), as I have used it for about four weeks, and it is looking like it might need to be put to the stone by the end of the week (which is unfortunately the only time I have to do these sorts of things). I have a 4/8k Norton (which has not been lapped) and I was going to give it a few strokes on the 8K side, strop and see if it is better than when it went on the stone. I decided to use only the 8k side because I am not trying to re-establish a bevel, just to get the razor back to where it needs to be. I could use some help and advice on this subject, as this is my first try at honing and I really don't want to screw it up. I have Lynn's DVD, and I plan on reveiwing it thoroughly before I do anything, if that provides any comfort to the honemeisters on the forum (I doubt it will). I know that is lot of stuff to digest, so any advice on any part of this is welcome. Also take a look at the below link and provide any suggestions or recommendations, whether positive or negative:

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=4920


Final exit question: Is the 4/8k enough to do what I need to do, or is this higher grit stone a necessity for now, or down the road?

You could get away with just the Norton and the Chinese 12k is a slow cutter, perfectly fine for touchups.. One reason I prefer my pasted bench hone is that it doesn't need any prep. I just take it out, do about 5-15 strokes (depending on the blade) and it's good to go. If you're using a paddle or a bench hone, make sure you strop about 20 times before taking the blade to it. In any case, your first post-touchup stropping should be about 35-40 strokes.

Some razors will shave quite well right off the 8K. The Lithide is a cheap finishing hone used by some people with success. I have used it on several razors and got mixed results.

Lately, I like the smoother edge of a Belgian or Escher followed with CrO2 on a bench hone. I also use the linen on my strop.

Definitely lap your 8K before you touch the razor to it, do the grid thing, etc. Whith the razor - go very light and if possible - few passes, strop, then test shave (maybe a small area) - if not good enough - try again. (I almost never have the discipline and patience for this frequent shave test and usually do thumb pad and HHT tests)

Hope this helps
Cheers
Ivo

Lap it, lap it, lap it.

Please, lap it.

I disregarded the advice to lap my Norton when I got it. I've sharpened knives and chisels for years and never bother to check my stones to see if they were perfectly flat.

I could never get a good edge on any of my razors. I was frustrated, and figured it was just my technique. I finally went back to shaving with the DE.

Well, about a week ago, I got "the bug" again, and decided to try lapping the stone. Sure enough, it appeared flat to the eye, but really wasn't even close.

15 minutes spent getting the stone perfectly flat, and now I've since honed three razors that, while they may not come close to something Lynn could do, are definitely "shave ready."

Good luck,
Bob

P.S. I am a "newbie," but I've had success using both a Swaty and a Carborundum for finishing after the 8k (lapped those too).

A number of honemeisters on this forum have remarked that the coticule is not a standard 8000 grit but gives the result more of a 10k grit stone. Grits are not standard! Run your finger over a Norton 8k and a coticule and you'll feel the difference. If you don't want to spend a lot of money experimenting, try a coticule bout (french word pronounced "boo") for $55 which is pure coticule but in an odd shape (not rectangular but oblong). I use them regularly for straight razors and other edges. As far as that Woodcraft stone goes... don't know anything about it but I'm going to order one since $30 is cheap for some more honing education. Thanks for the tip!