Well, that sure is weird. W2 from Aldo about 1.5 years ago, huh? If it was the stuff under .25", especially the 1/8" stuff, it did have some problems. Particularly, IIRC, would not harden properly. Not exactly sure what the problem was with that batch. Aldo suspected it got too hot during rolling. I've made a few knives from the stuff.....the first I had problems with the final finish looking spotty, but not scratchy like your photo. Also, once I normalized the "problem" steel thoroughly, any problems went away. I don't think I helped you any. That is weird. You're SURE you got out all scratches before moving on to the next grit? Interesting!!