Originally Posted by
Maxi
Once you've maxed out the 4k, which is really important, then you can move to the 8k to get a pretty comfortable edge.
Once you believe you have gotten as far as you can on the 8k, try this: Clean the stone, wipe the razor. Add new water to the stone, and now wipe it off with your finger. Make sure there's no bumpies on the stone. 10 super smooth, ultra light, no pressure X strokes. Going down the hone should take 3-4 seconds, coming back on the hone should take another 3-4 seconds. Nice and slow.
See if that helps any.
Also.....when you arrive on the 8k, if you see metal being embedded on the hone very quickly, it's time to go back to the 4k. Some metal will embed on the 8, however, it should not happen after say 2 or 3 strokes. If it does, that means you haven't maxed your 4k yet.