Quote Originally Posted by Kees View Post
I was looking for coarser grits e.g. 1K and 4K. Is there a risk of overhoning in that grit range?
Sure. But overhoning has no real effect on the final shaving edge until you get to the polishing grits - the sandpaper that is so popular at those low grits produces an impressive wire edge, but it snaps off once you get to the 4k and then you finish the bevel and it doesn't matter.

Quote Originally Posted by Kees View Post
And why, if they are so much faster, do many of us still use the Norton? Is it force of habit or our conservative character? On one of the knife forums someone commented once that straight razor users are considered to be very conservative and traditionalist
AFAIK, the norton was "discovered" by the straight razor community long before the shaptons were discovered. There was very little discussion of them on SRP before Joe Lerch and I bought ours (Joe got a 16k glassstone, I got a 15k pro stone). Before the glassstones came around a Shapton was twice the price of the Norton combo *per stone*. The norton is also available at classic and the other straight razor stores, and is much easier to learn on. I wouldn't really recommend a shapton to someone just starting out because of these factors, a norton, barber hone, or coticule will be much easier to learn on because the edge spends more laps near the peak, and the lower cost means a much less of a monetary barrier to entry. Plus the norton allows a one-stop-shopping experience at the various on-line merchants.