Thread: Honing starter kit - Norton 4k/8k alternatives.

Hello all,

As i am unsure of winning the contest I was looking into some alternatives.

General opinion would have it that de Norton 4k/8k is a great all-round stone to begin with.
Being on a tight budget the idea of needing only a single stone for honing (apart from the coarce stone i already have) seems very appealing.

Alas the only way for me to get a Norton seems to be by having it shipped overseas, bringing various shipping costs.

So i was looking at some european shops and found the following:

Japanese Waterstones: Naniwa Super Stones

The NANIWA Super-Combination Stone caught my attention, its 3k/8k grain.
It would cost € 78,80 (103 USD) including shipping to get it to where I am.

Price-wise it would seem a great alternative, however I have no idea if this is the right stone for a beginning honer, or a good stone at all.

tl;dr is the NANIWA Super-Combination Stone worth having?

It is a good stone.

Originally Posted by Slartibartfast

It is a good stone.

Any further info? comparison between the two?

I haven't used the Naniwa stones, so I can't speak personally, but doing a search on here brings up a lot of info.

Here's one thread:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...wa-stones.html

Originally Posted by Cove5440

I haven't used the Naniwa stones, so I can't speak personally, but doing a search on here brings up a lot of info.

Here's one thread:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...wa-stones.html

Thanks! After much reading i am leaning toward the Norton, it seems to be noob-friendly

I was in the similar situation, I was on a tight budget and don't wanted to spend a lot on shipping costs. And I have found a solution for me - I bought Noerton Hone Set from Whipped Dog and I spend only 75 $ (including shipping to Ukraine).
The set include:
1. Norton flattening stone
2. Norton Two-sided Hone 220/1000
3. Norton Two-sided Hone 4000/8000
Off course they are smaller, but I have already used 4000/8000 on my 2 razors and make perfect edge! Also, now, when I have 200/1000 stone I found my uncle old razor and start to restore it.
Whipped Dog Straight Razor Shaving Equipment

Hope it will help you!

Originally Posted by Bonbon

I was in the similar situation, I was on a tight budget and don't wanted to spend a lot on shipping costs. And I have found a solution for me - I bought Noerton Hone Set from Whipped Dog and I spend only 75 $ (including shipping to Ukraine).
The set include:
1. Norton flattening stone
2. Norton Two-sided Hone 220/1000
3. Norton Two-sided Hone 4000/8000
Off course they are smaller, but I have already used 4000/8000 on my 2 razors and make perfect edge! Also, now, when I have 200/1000 stone I found my uncle old razor and start to restore it.
Whipped Dog Straight Razor Shaving Equipment

Hope it will help you!

WOW, that seems like a great deal, hovever i'm not so sure about the size 1.5" seems really narrow...

yes i have narrow and short coticules and barber's hones , that said i do not like cut down nortons and for serious edge repair you will probably not like it either.

Yes, they are narrow, but I'm very quickly get used (especially as I have no other experience). And instead of 20 laps on one side in pyramid I make 40-50. I think it's great starting kit.

Originally Posted by Ingiald

Price-wise it would seem a great alternative, however I have no idea if this is the right stone for a beginning honer, or a good stone at all.

I would say so. I use the 1k, 5k, 8k and that's very comparable to the norton progression. Using 3k instead of 5k means you'll have a bit more work on the 8k, but it's a fast hone so it's not going to be a problem.
The main difference with the norton is the much softer feedback, and that the superstones are less porous. I prefer this to the nortons, hence that's what I've been using for the last several years.