Thread: questions about equipment important

First off a short introduction, I use to be in the army and now reitired the last 5 years of the army I shaved with straight razors honed my own blades and probably had around 50 blades i sharpened, if you don't know you have to shave everyday in the Army I did in the field i was Infantry. So in short I'm not new to straight razors i also have a copy of the 1923 barbers manual that i follow and have saw lots of videos on straight razor subjects.

here are my questions

I saw this stone on eBay are they any good for sharpening razors, Idk anything about these i guess one of my questions is can they be reground like a norton with a piece on sand paper on a table or something

400 1500 Sharpener Stone Grit Knife Razor Polishing Whetstone Duel Two Sides | eBay

something like this for quick sharpening of eBay refirbished razors or something else maybe?


SK11 Both Sides Diamond Honing Stone Grit 400 1000 | eBay


or maybe like something like this to refurbish razors as well

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Diamond-Shar...item5af0c9aa07


what do people think about a strop with lapping compound as well, i never tried this but i have seen barbers use them


Last but not least i need a good strop i know I'm going to have to pay some cash for one who do you recommend i use to have one that had a cloth belt and leather strop in one i purchased it from a barber shop i paid about 75. I am trying to keep some of this stuff on the not the super expensive stuff thats why i mention the stuff i found on eBay.

I no long have these things because of burglary.


Thanks fellers.

Well, diamond hones are not really used for straight razors. The whetstone is a little too coarse on one side. 1000 grit is as low as you would normally go. The Norton set up is pretty inexpensive, the King hones i think are a little less.

Thank you sir i wanted to use the diamond hone for really dull razors make quick work of them, i would like to know what people think of this cheaper hone i found on eBay, as well as the diamond hone

Originally Posted by daniel17319

Thank you sir i wanted to use the diamond hone for really dull razors make quick work of them, i would like to know what people think of this cheaper hone i found on eBay, as well as the diamond hone

Unless you are getting into MAJOR razor restoration, stick to the 1k grit and higher. Be very careful with looking for "cheap" hones. Though good hones can be found for a good price, with hones you can easily buy cheap by buying "cheap". Idk about anyone else but I would not let that $9 stone touch my razor, maybe not even my knives. Go to some of the vendors here on SRP. When it comes to honing they will have more than you need, plus helpful staff to guide you in a purchase that meets your wallets needs.

what do you think about this stone, i have done major razor restorations, the diamond hone i reffered 2 was 1000 grit.

Taidea 1000 3000 Grit Combination Corundum Whetstone Knife Sharpening Stone | eBay

What are you honing on now?

Those stones are too small.

The 400/ 1k could be use, but you could buy a quality stone for about the same price.

Diamonds for bevel setting can be problematic.

hey fellows idk i may have to get this life time warranty to

5 stone DMT diamond sharpening stone kit


why are they problem for bevel setting, could i just put some electrical tape to avoid that. I llike the above kit for sharpeing well everything including straight razors i may also get Taeda stone i saw on eBay to.

what are the special considerations with sharpening with a diamond hone like the ones above

Originally Posted by daniel17319

what do you think about this stone, i have done major razor restorations, the diamond hone i reffered 2 was 1000 grit.

Taidea 1000 3000 Grit Combination Corundum Whetstone Knife Sharpening Stone | eBay

With this stone, if I was going solely by the look of the add, maybe. But there are a few other things I would ask myself, if I was the one doing the shopping instead of you.

1. Does the stone fit my needs/wants for the edge I'm hunting?
(if you don't have your refreshing grits ,~4k and 8k, because of the burglary, you would need to start there)

2. How good/reputable is the brand?
I haven't heard of this brand so I will leave it to others to speculate.

3. How good is this stone or stone type?
this is your main question, and I know how much I hate being answered with a question, but since I dont know this stone these are the things I would be looking for. There is a lot when it comes to looking for a stone. There are fast and slow, soft and hard, smooth and rough. Each will produce its own result. And since this is an art each has its place. But the question can be what would you be looking for? So since you are looking for a definite answer I would recommend the common Norton 4/8k. This can be a bevel setter and finisher all in one. If you just need a bevel setter a naniwa Super stone 1k is you best bet.

This is is only based on my limited knowledge. Others here could probably lead you better

In regards to your link to the diamond hones:

I just went through this but with diamond pastes. Do yourself a favor and forget the diamond hones all together as far as bevel setting through final polish is concerned. The comfort and sharpness can not be achieved with diamonds, I fought it for the last 2 months.

With a 1k king a Norton 4k/8k and a naniwa 12k you'll be out about $200 and get sweet shaves.

I have a 325 and a 1200 DMT. I use them to lap my good razor hones :<0) While diamonds, corundum, and life time all sound faster, the scratches and damage they leave can take some time to get out later down the progression.