Naniwa combo stone

Well, I told my wife I'm getting into str8 razor shaving to save money, YEAH RIGHT!!! On to the stones!

I think I've made the decision to purchase the Naniwa 12k super stone for touch ups and eventually be a part of a full line up.

Given this, I have a few questions about Naniwas. Has anyone used the Naniwa 3k/8k combo stone? Would the 3k/8k combo be the equivalent of the Norton 4k/8k combo? And is 3k to 8k a normal progression? Or should I be thinking of the 5k/8k/12k progression?

Thanks!
razorbill

I think that 3-8k jump is a bit of a stretch. You can always benefit from 5k/6k stone in between. I like the Suehiro Rika 5k, its really cheap (~ $45) and it is very similar to Chosera. It is very fast stone that followed by an 8k gives a great edge. I have to admit I have used it on knives only, but it should work great for razors too.

My progression on very dull straight razors goes 1k -> 6k -> 12k and don't have any issues jumping from 1k to 6k. Takes a bit longer for the 6k to remove all the scratches from the previous stone but it's definitely doable. A 3k stone in between would be faster, but not affect the final result in progressive honing.

The 3K/8K Naniwa Super is a pretty effective stone. I have been jumping back and forth between it and their 5K and 8K stones. Results are petty comparable.

From a comparison standpoint, I find the Norton 4K/8K and the Shapton 4K and 8K to be pretty similar from a result perspective in this range.

Lynn