Quote Originally Posted by FranfC View Post
I would also rec. replacing the 4>8 combo w/ stand-alone 4K & 8K stones, there are many very good stones to choose from & some are very reasonably priced.
Disagreed. I've been making razors for the last 10 years. I still have my original 4K / 8K. It's still almost as thick as when I bought it and they are absolutely great stones. I really don't see the point of buying 2 new stones to replace the 1 stone he already has which does the exact same thing and which works fabulously. Different stones aren't going to make him a better honer.

If you REALLY want to get good results, I'd sooner advise to pay attention to the 1K bevel you're setting. If that is good you'll breeze through the 4K 8K steps. My 4K8K is almost as thick as when I bought it, but my 1K norton is down to its last 1/8" of material.