Stones for a beginner

[bary]

I decided to see if I've got the stones to hone my beloved razor.
Turns out I have THE stones, but I don't have the stones to do it with
What stone would you recommend for a beginner?
I wanted to buy a Norton stone combo, but the shipment to Europe costs 60$
I've found a Kasumi 3000/8000 for 125euro, anyone has any experience?
How about if I only buy a Coticule selected 8000, and use it for sharpening?
Is a 30$ 12000 no name (probably chinese) stone a good idea?
Thanks in advance

[mainaman]

I remember there is a German site that sells Naniwa stones, but can't remember what the site was , I am sure some of our European members will chime in with the links.

EDIT:

found one link:

http://www.fine-tools.com/index.html


I am sure there are others as well.

[SirStropalot]

Hey bary,

Welcome to SRP!! Glad to have you on board!

Go here and read through this. It will answer many of your questions, even some you may not have considered yet. It's a great place to start for answering your question.

What hone(s), paste(s), or spray(s) do I need? - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Howard

[Lemur]

Some more places;

Banksteine | DICTUM GmbH - Mehr als Werkzeug

japan-messer-shop - Kochmesser und Schleifsteine im japan-messer-shop.de

Messer schärfen - Schleifsteine, Schleifstäbe, Wetzstähle, Messerschärfer, Streichriemen, Abrichtblock: H01 Haiku Gemüsemesser[backPID]=354&tx_ttproducts_pi1[product]=1734

Naniwa Schleifstein Körnung #1000/#3000

They're quite common so you can probably find more places.

[bary]

Thanks everyone!
Any tips on the size of the stone for a 5/8 razor?

[Lemur]

Thanks everyone!
Any tips on the size of the stone for a 5/8 razor?

75 x 205 mm is a good size for anything but you can get bye with a smaller doing x-strokes.
Some old razor hones were really narrow and they work fine to.
Think of how you're going to keep the stone flat too.

[kalerolf]

Welcome bary
I cot another couple adresses for you

Naniwa Super Stones Japanse waterstenen
And if you want a Coticule stone
http://www.ardennes-coticule.be

[bary]

Much obliged by all your help
Where do you buy your shaving cream/straight razors?
Any good European site you can recommend?
Also, for my second razor I wanted to buy the Dovo Diamant; does it look as good in real life as it does on photos?
Also I have a loom strop that is 20cm long and 4cm wide. Should i do my regular 40-60 strops or go for more due to the small size?
Thanks!

[roughkype]

If your strop is narrower, then each pass on it will have less effect than a wider strop. So yes, you'll need more passes. The same is true with hones. I have one very nice coticule that's only about 2 cm wide and 9 cm long--it's my travel hone--and I need to make three times the strokes on it as I would for a more conventional hone.

A couple of hones to avoid--the cheap 12000-grit Chinese ones, and modern Thuringians. The Chinese ones are often much coarser than the label claims, and the modern Thuringians are sold without the strict quality control that made them famous in the past. Some people have gotten lucky with the C12ks, and gotten a good one on their first try. Others have had to buy three or four before getting a good one. Natural hones are variable--I have bought coticules that were not good hones at all--so are not a good place to begin your shopping.

Our "workhorse hones" here are the Norton 4k/8k or the Naniwa 3k/8k, and Naniwa's 12k hones are very popular too--very fast for as fine as they are. The common advice here is to master an 8k edge--that is, be able to consistently get comfortable shaves from your 8k--before trying out a 12k. It takes a light touch.

Best wishes to you.

[razorguy]

found one link:

Homepage of Dieter Schmid's Fine Tools

I am sure there are others as well.

I too would suggest this site if you live in Europe. Naniwa 3k/8k is sold at a good price and shipping fees are reasonable as well. I would also suggest you the super cheap and so called "Chinese 12K" which is a very good finishing stone, at least in my opinion.
These two stones will give you more than a "beginner set". With time, I would also suggest you buying a Belgian coticule: a truly excellent stone!