Thanks to both!

Quote Originally Posted by Euclid440 View Post
Yea, $300 is a bit pricy, I just saw a nice 8 x 2.5 Surgical Black Ark sell for $65 USD, on EBay.
Quote Originally Posted by Substance View Post
for $300 you could buy a new Gokumyo 20K
Due to some import/customs bureaucracy, distributors are importing less and less every day, and we (just common guys) cannot do such. Paying for it is another PITA, but even if I trade a stone (in this particular case) for something I have, without paying, the courier will probably not arrive home...
Quote Originally Posted by Euclid440 View Post
Your small Ark may work if it is a Hard Ark, a Translucent or Surgical Black and if prepared properly, lapped flat and burnished slick with hard, flat carbon steel.
I have finished razors on a 4x2 and they finish, just fine after a good 8K edge, you will just have to double your laps to get enough mileage on your stone face. You could also do a micro bevel, by adding an extra layer of tape after a good 8K edge and do 10-20 lite laps.
My "small" is really small. It is for jewelers, and it is probably 2" length. Useful for some fountain pen nibs, but not close to what a razor requires.
Quote Originally Posted by Euclid440 View Post
I usually add a micro bevel after a 12K, but a Norton 8K will produce a fine shaving edge. I also maintained a single razor for many years with a 6 in translucent ark, just touching up on it every couple of months or so.
Thanks for this, Euclid! I keep mine sharp with the 8k, which produced a somehow "shaveable" but harsher edge, and lots of passes on a pasted strop. After that, just 50 laps in a very long paddled strop (plain leather) and probably once a month the pasted ones.

Rgds

Martin