A fine sharpening stone (>2000 grit) does not remove much metal. They are primarily used to polish the edge and remove scratches from previous steps. You polish the edge to smooth out peaks and valleys in the scratch pattern. A coarser edge provides good bite and grips ingredients better than a polished edge, but a polished edge has higher sharpness and "wow" factor. The usual range for kitchen knives is 2000-6000, depending on personal preference.
