Thread: A littel quality time touching up the rotation on the 12K

Alan, If I understand your post correctly your complaint is not in sharpness but in the comfort area of the shave.
I think you are shaving with a toothy edge.
I will share with you my method of resolving this issue.
I use a small, highly polished, flat piece of Montana agate to assist my honing efforts.
When I get close to the bevel set I use the polished flat of the agate to rub down the edge using a single pass withvery light pressure at a 90 degree angle to the blade to flatten out and polish any roughness on the edge.
Its like breadknifing, except the ever so slightly flattened edge will now be very shiny due to the use of the polished rubbing stone.
Then I use a bright light and maneuver the edge until you can see the reflection of the flattened edge. The first rub will likely produce an intermittent reflection because of the toothy edge and the fact that the bevel hasn't been fully and evenly set along its length.
I rub/polish the edge and hone the polished edge off until the bevel has been fully any evenly set and switch to a finishing type of stroke on the hone.
For finishing I use a light pressure and a stroke that resembles the digit 6 on the end of the hone nearest you and reverse this stroke on the other end of the hone. (start on the inside of the 6, make a circle, and finish the "tail" with a sort of swoop)
For me this stroke keeps deep parallel groves from forming on the bevel which can cause a rough edge.
My eyesight has deteriorated through the years and now I need reading glasses for up close work and find that with some practice and the reading glasses I can see even the finest reflection on an edge and keep honing just until that is gone.
When the reflection is totally gone from the edge it is time to move on to the next hone.
Each hone past bevel set receives this light pressure using the figure 6 stroke and repeat until the reflection is gone and evidence of the coarse marks on the bevel from the previous hone has been removed.
Each honing using the next finer hone starts with light pressure and end using a very light pressure.
When stopping very soon after the reflection is gone the wire edge or over honing is prevented.
I think Glenn referred to not over honing as "sneaking up on the edge"
Trust that with nothing more than my reading glasses if I very, very, carefully turn and twist the razor looking for the slightest trace of a reflection on the edge and find absolutely none after coming off the Naniwa 12,000, the resulting invisible edge will be incredibly sharp and be as free from teeth as I can get it.
I don't use a thumpad test, arm hair, hanging hair, or any other test for sharpness as this method works very well for me.
Personally I have been going from the Naniwa 12,000 directly to the linen and then to the leather strop but a few careful strokes on the CO would possibly be beneficial as well.
I am very careful when stropping this edge as it is delicate.
A rough and fast technique on the strops will cause issues that could be avoided.
As is the case with any razor that I have honed, the first shave is done with extra caution. After a couple shaves with 30 careful passes on linen followed by 50 gentle passes on leather the edge breaks in giving an incredibly satisfying shave.
This technique has worked very well for me and I hope that if you choose to try it, that you will be as successful with it as I have been.

This technique has worked well for me on very hard steel that has a tendency to microchip.