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Is there any do all hone out there? I don't want to have to buy a bunch of them. If I'm just keeping sharp a shave ready razor what hone do I need? Is it possible to keep a razor sharp forever off of one hone and a strop? All I here is hones, hones, hones!
Yellow coticule
i agree with yellow coticule. its slow work but good results.
For keeping a razor in shave ready condition, all you probably would need is a Norton 4k/8k. Some people talk about barber's hones and strop pastes for this purpose as well. I think that they also work. If you by razors from ebay and would like to have more flexibility in the event of having to reset a bevel , I would buy this kit:
Amazon.com: Norton Waterstone Starter Kit: 220/1000 grit stone, 4000/8000 grit stone, SiC flattening stone: Home Improvement
When I bought my hones, this is what the experts recommended. I also bought a Chinese 12k finishing stone from Woodworking Plans & Tools | Fine Woodworking Project & Supplies at Woodcraft . It was about $20.
Al raz.
You won't live forever so that ain't an issue but a Norton 4/8 will keep your razors sharp and last longer than you will probably. :)
I'm not sure about that comment that a coticule is slow; it can be used with a slurry to increase the speed, and some are fast enough to set bevels. But, coti's are naturals, so it depends on your particular one.
If you are just keeping a shave ready razor shave ready, any finisher will suit you just fine. You can shave off a Norton 8k, but typically finishers are thought of as anything over 8k. Some options are the high grit Naniwas or Shaptons, the Coticule, the C12k, Escher, any barber hone that has been documented as being a finisher (which is most of them), a Japanese natural finisher, etc.
If by keeping a shave ready razor shave ready you want to include fixing any dings that may be caused by hitting the blade on something hard or dropping the razor, then you could think about picking up a Norton 4/8k or equivelant Shaptons or Naniwas, and maybe even something more coarse if you want to be able to fix significant edge damage. But, to just keep a shave ready razor that way, there is no need to make the investement in a 4/8k stone.
If you want to have only one stone to do everything, it seems to me that your best bet is finding the right coticule. If you contact a good seller, like Howard at theperfectedge, he should be able to find you one that can be used for bevel setting with a slurry, polishing with a light slurry, and finishing with just water.
I think in your last threat I suggested either the Norton, a coti/BBW combo or just a coti.
I'll stand by those.
You may want to visit Welcome to Coticule.be, home of the famous Belgian Whetstone - home of the famous Belgian Coticule Whetstone
It is a site devoted to the coticule. Good honing tips for getting the most out of a coticule.
Cheers
I was confused about which hone to get too!!!... after months of research I did, and once I read Lynn's recommendation about just getting the Norton 4k/8k I decided to get it. Actually is a little expensive but apparently it'll do the job forever.
I just ordered that Norton kit, too. After lots of research, it seems to be the best all around deal. I've seen microscopic photos of edges going right from an 8000 to a paste, and the results look outstanding. Also, many people feel you can go from an 8000 to a strop to your face with few if any problems. Besides, if you can't shave off the 8000, going to a finer stone ain't going to help.
+1 on the Coticule, especially if you can get a Natural Combo, Half BBW, and Half Coticule. What I like about the Coticule is it's versatility.
Well to be honest I think the price some of you pay for a stone is way too much and other good alternatives are out there!
I use a Gerber Sharpening Stone, Fine Grit. The 6 in. X 2 in. 600 grit Alumina + Carborundum. Retail around £10-15
And finish off with a slurry on my Chinese 12K then just water and no slurry until it shines like the morning dew!.
This has been able to produce perfect HHT's on 95% of my collection
If the blade or bevel needs resetting then the big coarse stone comes out and you can almost see the fragments of metal jumping off in fright before I even touch the stone lol!
And it also proves you do not need to be taken for a ride with some expensive stones.
If any one is unsure or does not belive that I can replicate what I say then the challange is set as this:
If you have a razor with a blunt edge but an edge none the least I will hone it for free as long as you cover costs and insurance both ways.
(subject to quality razors not chinese, pakistan, Kriegar etc) my butter knife would hold a better edge than those.
This is a limited offer I am based in the UK.
I have been wondering with so many starting the straight with no pre-existing sharpening equipment- how does a non-sharpening person eat, prepare meals; how can one make it through the week, a day w/o a sharp pocket knife?
Sorry to go off topic; but really am surprised to see that so many have nothing to start with.
Either a Swaty or a Norton 4000/8000.
BTW: Read the WIKI:
What hone(s) do I need? - Straight Razor Place Wiki
I agree with you Kevint in that so many people do not sharpen any cutting instrument, I see my partners parents hacking away at cooked meats with knives that would give you a friction burn rather than cut you, and no matter how many times I shapren them they will not keep the edge up even though I provided a basic pull through sharpener!
As a professional chef I cherish my knives and keep them honed to perfection just like my razors and cannot stand by when people use such blunt instruments to prep food as I have seen so many times before:rant:
People do not understand that a sharp instrument is much better and safer than a blunt one.
this is interesting question.everytime it pops up we have different opinions and etc. Will coticule.norton.escher nakayama .etc.will do the job? Of course they all will.question is how much money you like to spend andhow much time spend to learn honing. In my view only barber hone doesnt need too much money and experience. Gl
One of the cheapest way to keep a razor going and have an excellent edge is to have a 4 sided strop with 1.0, 0.5, 0.25 micron diamond paste and the fourth side with Chromium. For a hone I picked a DMT 8EE which is a 3 micron plate. You can replace the strop with paddles that have thick felt and go with diamond spray, I hear that is really great also. This setup will keep you going with a wicked sharp razor for the 1st year and beyond. It is very quick and easy to use and, for a newbie, allows one to worry about shaving and lathering. When the time comes that you decide to start honing you can just add stones a little at a time. After almost two years my paddle strop is used just for the 0.25 side only. The 1 micron is now a 16K Shapton, the 0.5 micron is now a 30K Shapton. It gives you time to breath and learn about shaving, lathering, and razors.....all that stuff at a measured pace and allows you to make informed decisions on how you want to proceed. The choices that I made were just that, my choices, and others will probably decide to go a different route, whatever floats your boat.
Take Care,
Richard