The TOS is more of a medium hone, ~6K. It is very slow and gentle; Mparker recommends it for very hard or brittle steel prone to microchipping. He seems to have swung heavily over to Shaptons so I don't know if he's still using his Tam.

I got one and use it because three honing gurus I tend to listen to use it regularly: Joe Chandler, Randydance, and Mparker. All three follow it with something else: coticule, escher, pasted strops, or some combo thereof.

What I still don't totally understand is what the point of a slow medium hone is (except for w/regards to microchipping). That is, if you're finishing with a coticule or escher, does your face and beard know that you used a Tam before you got to the fine finisher? If not, what did you accomplish using the slow Tam instead of something fast?

These are the doubts running through my mind as I slavishly try to emulate the big guys.