Thread: How many hones do you use?

For most instances a Coticule and Nakayama are all I need.

Other hones will be used if more bevel setting is necessary, or if I just feel like using them. In which case the progression goes: Belgian Blue, coarse Coticule, fine Coticule, Muller Thuringian, vintage Thuringian, Chinese 12k, Escher, Nakayama Asagi, and finally Nakayama Ki-ita.

Whatever works is the best road, keep on keepin on.

My standard progression for an ebay special is:

1. DMT 1200
2. Norton 4000
3. Norton 8000
4. Coticule
5. Chinese 12K
6. Nakayama

I shave straight off the Nakayama (after stropping on plain leather). Sometimes, I'll use a Belgian blue in place of steps 2 and 3. If I'm just touching up a razor, I'll sometimes start at step 4; other times, I'll just do step 6.

1.1) Norton 4k
1.2) Norton 8k
2) Coticule
3) 0.5 & 0.25 diamond pastes on their way
And a DMT 8C to flatten the hones.

I think I can manage pretty much everything with this "combo"; but - because of HAD - I am looking to buy another hone with a grit around 1000 to set a bevel quickly, a belgian blue and a Japanese finishing stone... but that's for the future.

Norton 4K
" 8K
coticule
Shapton pro 15K
Shapton glass 30K
leather strop

Some razors require a very light touch on the 15/30K or they become overhoned.

Monte

For normal maintenance:

• DMT D8EE(8000)
• My favorite barber hone "of the moment"
• sometimes newspaper

For lapping hones, razor repairs (and sharpening knives):

• DMT D8C(325)
• DMT D6E(1200)

When a razor starts slowing down I'll do a few passes on the 1k S GS, 3k S GS, 8k norton (4k side is almost gone now), 16k S GS, 1.0 diamond paste, and now my new HA Chrome leather bench. From that I hit the leather and go another month or so. It only takes a few passes on each stone so I'm not much worried about wear, but I also have 9 razors in my current rotation so it's generally a few months before I notice any edge degradation

DC

Whatza "S GS?"

Wow. Great responses. And next to Randy, I seem almost sane.

Originally Posted by Bruce

DC

Whatza "S GS?"

Shapton Glass Stone?

Originally Posted by randydance062449

Shapton Glass Stone?

Ooops! Yup Shapton Glass Stone busy fingers tend to miss that sometimes