I feel your pain! I have a Wade and Butcher semi wedge. Tried and tried to hone it, with no success. I'd watched Lynns video on the Naniwa Super Stones(which is what I have, 1000,5000,8000,12000). Still no luck. What I ultimately did was at the 1000 and 5000 level, I doubled the number of circles and x strokes and at the 8000 and 12000 level, I did 50% more. I tried to cut hairs on my right arm at the halfway point, and hairs on my left fell off! Good luck.