What brand is your 4/8 stone?

- - - My stone is a Norton 4K/8K. I bought my first razor about 10 years ago and I have put a lot of hours into this from time to time, then come back months or 2 years later and try it again. But nothing seems to work; that's why I tried a few bizarre items. I know that most of you guys are confident in the leather strop, but why won't a leather belt work just as well? I have a few of those. So why buy one ?

- - - My guess is that the bevel is or should be obvious to close inspection. I think mine is OK, but may be wrong.

- - - And why would leather be effective while vinyl is not ? Some guys swear by lapping on news papers or on their jeans. My experience tells me that this is not a science and even with a microsope, nobody can tell you what is happening. There are a lot of guesses, and speculation, but nobody knows for sure.