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As there is more than one recipes for scrumptious cream pies.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/showthread.php?t=13442

http://straightrazorpalace.com/component/option,com_docman/task,cat_view/gid,18/Itemid,3/ Look for "knife sharpening study".

I still don't get the black bit of the story. Freshly honed/ground metal looks silvery and shiny, all darker colours on metal are either grime, staining, corrosion or rust as far as my experience...

Most would go from 4K to 8K Norton and then on to the coticule though I remember Howard recommends you can go from the 4K Norton to the coticule.
4K is probably too coarse to expect your razor to...