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I have now found a store located relatively near me that carries some honing equipment.
I propose to get a Chinese (12,000 grit) water stone for finishing.
A DMT extra fine (9 micron) diamond bench stone (8x3) for lapping the water stone and honing.
1) do I need something in between the 2 hones?
2) Can I go from the Chinese stone to an unpasted strop? Would I need newspaper or a pasted strop in between?
Yes you can go from the Chinese straight to the strop.
The DMT you are talking about is rougher than you need for anything but removing chips and setting bevels. between that and the 12000 you would need both a 6 micron (4000 grit) and a 3 micron (8000 grit) hone. Or get the DMT 8000 grit hone if you want, some guys have had luck with just that.
As a general rule what is considered x-tra fine in the knife/abrasive world is considered rough in the razor world. Were they are doing a final polish we are just getting started.
You will need something between the DMT D8EF and the Chinese 12k.
I have had nothing but good results with the DMT D8EE in between those two hones and can't complain about the edges, but you may want something to raise a slurry on the 12k like a small cheap diamond hone coticule rubbing stone or japanese nagura. You could get by without it, but the expense as compared to the decreased work time is worth it.
But there are many great stones that could fill the necessary spots.
So I would be OK with the 3 micron and the chinese then on to stropping?
sounds like a plan!
Yes, but you'll have to lap your 12k somehow, I've not tried sandpaper myself, but it'd probably do the trick.
I could lap it with the DMT extra extra fine (3 micron) diamond bench stone (8x3), right?
yes, but it would take you a long time.
When we talk about how fine the grit is, 9 micron, 3micron etc, what we are really talking about is the amount of material that the stone will abrade away as a function of the size of the grit particles. So, you can lap your stone with the D8EE but it will take 3 times longer than the D8EF, 9 times longer than the D8F, and 14 times longer than the D8C.
The rougher the grit, the faster the lapping will go.
Does that make sense?
Oh, and you'll get a pretty strong suction when using the D8EE to lap. I wouldn't recommend it as a lapping hone, but on the other hand, I do recommend doing a few lapping strokes with it on some other stone to "break in" the diamond surface (smoothes it out a little, since diamonds are pretty aggressive).
CraftsmanStudio.com has a great deal going on right now: http://www.craftsmanstudio.com/html_p/T!D8.htm
But do look around at other options before commiting, there are many good methods.
Since I have already ordered the D8EE from craftsmanstudio.com, what would be a reasonable option for lapping the chinese water stone? a Norton flattening stone or another DMT?
Well, I have picked up a chinese water stone, lapped it with a norton lapping stone, and am awaiting my DMT8EE, but some people just can't leave things alone.
I found a place that sells Escher Thuringian Water Hones and wonder if one would add anything to my process.
I also want to know if the pricing is fair.
190x30x 6 mm approx. 7.5 x 1.2 x 1/4 in. for $49.00
125x63x20 mm approx. 5 x 2.5 x 3/4 in. for $130.00
which to get? I presume it will need to be flattened. will the Norton work on it?