“Does the progression leading up to the final edge make a difference on the end result?
A full nagura progression feels a little different then if i use a tomo nagura after an 6-8k synthetic. You are in principle always replacing the scratches from the previous step.”
Yes and no.
If you remove all the previous stria with the last stone, then you are left with just the finish off the last stone. For example, if you remove 1k stria with a 4k and you have honed to the edge, then you have a 4k edge. But if all the 1k stria is not removed and you have 1 and 4k stria when you jump to the 8k, you may have an issue.
It is common for new honers to do just that and after 8k they see 1k stria when the 8k polishes out the 4k stria and blame the 8k for leaving scratches. It did not, they were never removed by the 4k. if you continued to a natural finisher and do not remove the 1k, then the edge will be affected by the previous stones.
The same thing can happen with a Jnat and nagura, especially because nagura are not grit rated and they are natural stones so a “strata” progression may not be a grit progression in terms of fineness, or technique is not allowing a progression to occur.
In your example, if you jump to a Jnat from a near mirror, 8k edge, (near mirror, you know all previous stria up to 8k has been removed) any Jnat finish you apply will be pure Jnat and the edge finish is from the last stone.
So, you must quantify “grit rate” your nagura and your base stone. Not necessarily number rate the grit, but rate it in relation with the base stone and the other nagura, so you know where each fits in a progression and if they are all needed.
Really, fewer nagura are needed and a simpler 1 or 2 nagura progression may be better. And more important is knowing the capabilities of your base stone, do a 1k to diamond slurry finish to see what the base stone is capable of and how it finishes by itself. Sometimes you do not need to add salt to the soup.
You will need to experiment.
And, a mirrored or kazumi bevel means nothing if you are not fully honing to the edge, (that never happens).
A full nagura progression feels a little different then if i use a tomo nagura after an 6-8k synthetic. You are in principle always replacing the scratches from the previous step.”
Yes and no.
If you remove all the previous stria with the last stone, then you are left with just the finish off the last stone. For example, if you remove 1k stria with a 4k and you have honed to the edge, then you have a 4k edge. But if all the 1k stria is not removed and you have 1 and 4k stria when you jump to the 8k, you may have an issue.
It is common for new honers to do just that and after 8k they see 1k stria when the 8k polishes out the 4k stria and blame the 8k for leaving scratches. It did not, they were never removed by the 4k. if you continued to a natural finisher and do not remove the 1k, then the edge will be affected by the previous stones.
The same thing can happen with a Jnat and nagura, especially because nagura are not grit rated and they are natural stones so a “strata” progression may not be a grit progression in terms of fineness, or technique is not allowing a progression to occur.
In your example, if you jump to a Jnat from a near mirror, 8k edge, (near mirror, you know all previous stria up to 8k has been removed) any Jnat finish you apply will be pure Jnat and the edge finish is from the last stone.
So, you must quantify “grit rate” your nagura and your base stone. Not necessarily number rate the grit, but rate it in relation with the base stone and the other nagura, so you know where each fits in a progression and if they are all needed.
Really, fewer nagura are needed and a simpler 1 or 2 nagura progression may be better. And more important is knowing the capabilities of your base stone, do a 1k to diamond slurry finish to see what the base stone is capable of and how it finishes by itself. Sometimes you do not need to add salt to the soup.
You will need to experiment.
And, a mirrored or kazumi bevel means nothing if you are not fully honing to the edge, (that never happens).