A friend of mine is a professional honer and I asked him which stone he started honig. He stated that he started with the Norton 4k. Not too long after that I purchased a Fanger 500 7/8 full hollow pushing to extra. I decided to start with my Norton 4k. The wrong choice, the shave was very marginal. I went back and started with the Norton 1k to creat or set the proper edge. The shave was a 10, nice clean smooth. Just because other people can start with a 4k and have a great hone, does not mean I can have the same result. I learned I need to start with the 1k for me to get a good hone. The 4k is great for sharpening, but I need the 1k to start me in the right path. Juan.