I agree totally. Nothing @ all wrong w/ using paste, but I wouldn't buy an expensive natural if I just planned to use it before pasting.
Danzyc: The crox that we buy is supposed to have an average particle size of 0.5 micron--that equates to ~30k grit. As far as the grit of a finishing-quality Jnat (pre or post slurry breakdown), no one really knows for sure. What matters more is how the edge behaves--if it's super sharp & very smooth, it doesn't really matter what the actual grit was. (Keeping in mind that this number will probably vary widely, as naturals as a rule can have pretty variable particle sizes.)