Quote Originally Posted by eKretz View Post
The diamond plate is a possible factor if it's only a month old. Have you lapped any very hard stones with it? Arks? Those will break in a diamond plate right quick. If you feel like you were using too much pressure it's possible you were dislodging abrasive particles from the binder and getting what amounts to a slurry...which is not good for finish. However it's odd that it isn't happening with the 8k also; unless you used less pressure with it than with the 16k.
For lapping, I have only lapped all my Shapton GS hones and my Norton 4/8. The hardest hone it has touched was my C12k (PHID). So other than bevel setting several knives, then that's it.