Well I just received my SS 1k and a King 1k, and I can honestly say that the Naniwa SS 1k just seems to be more "newbie-friendly". Now it could just be me, but the SS seems to be less gritty than the King and definitely feels smoother. I tried to set a bevel on both stones using a cheap crappy razor (gold dollar), and the Naniwa felt like it was easier to use, so I think I'll stick with it. The good thing is that I continued on with my Norton 4/8 after the SS, and I feel like I got the razor pretty damn sharp, so I think I might be getting the hang of this honing thing!!