Thread: is the 8k worth it?

Getting more into honing and am wondering whether or not it's worth it to get the naniwa 8k. I already have the 1k and the 5k. Just wondering if an 8k is really going to make all that much difference in my edge. From Lynns video on honing with naniwas, he spends hardly any time on the 8k. Would a 1k, 5k, chrom/ox on a web strop, then of course leather be enough?

Not having Naniwa's I can only say that using my Norton 8k is where the edge really comes together for me. I used to go from the 8k to a CrOx paddle and get great edges, now I use a finishing stone between the 8k and paddle.

Originally Posted by quicksilver

Getting more into honing and am wondering whether or not it's worth it to get the naniwa 8k. I already have the 1k and the 5k. Just wondering if an 8k is really going to make all that much difference in my edge. From Lynns video on honing with naniwas, he spends hardly any time on the 8k. Would a 1k, 5k, chrom/ox on a web strop, then of course leather be enough?

The higher the grit the less time you need to put in, generally. Yes, you need a finisher, of at least 8k.

You could make the 5k to 30k jump, but that is a big jump. 8k or 1um film.

If you get an 8k you will have a solid 1,5,8K progression.

I use the 1,5,8 and it sets up my razors perfectly for whatever finisher I want to throw at them. I've done quite a bit of work on the 8k when I was to stubborn to keep going down in grits.

I think it is worth it for sure. Your face will thank you.

Are you getting a good clean shave that is comfortable to you with a 1K and 5K? If so, and you are content with your shaves, then maybe you should stick to it. Your going to get a lot of yes answers, but you are the answer.

The answer will depend on how good your 10k stone is, if you do use a 10k. For example 1k/5k/10k Chosera is commonly used set up that works well. If you have a 12k stone then an 8k will make your life a lot easier.
I personally like to use an 8k after the 5k.

Originally Posted by Johntoad57

Are you getting a good clean shave that is comfortable to you with a 1K and 5K? If so, and you are content with your shaves, then maybe you should stick to it. Your going to get a lot of yes answers, but you are the answer.

Yeah that's the thing...no I'm not. From the other comments I've seen and others I've talked to, it sounds like the 8k is used more than I'm realizing. It's just so dang expensive....

Sadly, the higher the grit, the higher the price.

Originally Posted by quicksilver

Yeah that's the thing...no I'm not. From the other comments I've seen and others I've talked to, it sounds like the 8k is used more than I'm realizing. It's just so dang expensive....

Welcome to life my friend! It's sad that just scraping your face with a straight razor should cost so much, but unfortunately that's the reality of it. Good luck, I hope you find a set up that will work for you in a price that you are willing to accept.