I bought this stone with razor honing in mind. Never having used water stones before, I didn’t know what to expect and was at first a bit disappointed at the apparent friction I felt upon first use. Maybe it’s the binder in the stone that offered some initial resistance, but it soon loosened up with a truing stone (though it’s already perfectly flat) and with successive honing. What a performer. Very pleased with results, a perfect mid range stone which hinges great with my 1k and 8k.
Thanks too to Paul for great service and timely responses.