Thread: Norton? Naniwa? Coticule?

I've acquired my SR, which came with a hanging strop (linen/leather combo). Shaved with it a few times, but because it is of a more antique nature, I find myself needing to touch up the edge on a hone.

I've seen a lot of play (who hasn't?) on the Norton 4/8K combo stone. I have a set of 4 Norton hones (220,1K,4K,8K) that I use on kitchen knives with great success. I am able to put a very usable edge on any blade with these along with a hand-made strop (a friend's handiwork). I assume that even though these hones aren't of a combo nature, they are of the same material/quality. Is this the case, or is the 4/8 combo stone that gets a lot of attention slightly different somehow?

That said are there opinions as to whether or not I should buy a separate 4/8K combo stone, distinct for my razor?

Additionally, I've read a little about the Naniwa 12K, and it intrigues me. I like the idea of an even finer finish to a razor than the 8K hone I use on my kitchen/pocket knives. Is it worth the effort to purchase and keep this additional stone?

Better yet, what about an all-mighty Coticule? Is this an improvement over the Norton and Naniwa stones? My one concern with the Coticule is how I purchase one. I live in NY, and would prefer to avoid international shipping costs if possible. Are there 'dealers' for this stone? Are they easy(ish) to find in the states?

Thanks for the help!

For simplicity, just lap the stones you have and follow the honing guides in the Wiki for the 4-8. Be sure to soak the hones the same amount before lapping and again before use on a razor. the lapping is to assure a good straight edge on a blade that is perfectly straight and has no "smile."
Time later for getting into natural stones. They do have individual personalities!
~Richard

You are good to go with the 4k and 8k you already have. No need to get the combo. As Geezer says, follow the WIKI tutorials and I might add that you should watch videos by Lynn and Glen. Good luck.....

I have been using a king 250/1k combo and a 4/8 Norton for almost a year. Lap and learn. Razors are not like knives. I have been restoring e-bay blades of all kinds and conditions and just now getting to where I might have learned to shave enough to tell the difference if I used a 12k or natural. Many jump right into it but you don't need to that's for sure. I am thinking Zulu grey for myself. Might as well go off the deep end :<0)

I say keep the Nortons. They are known by many to put a great edge on razors. Coticules are fun, but there is a learning curve associated with them. If you do decide to take a walk down coticule lane, I would recommend "The superior shave" (thesuperiorhshave.com). They have a lot of cotis to choose from and you can view each individual one....

Having used both Norton and coticule, I would say stick with the nortons for now as they will give you a more consistent edge. Then, when you get better at honing you could always get a coticule to mess around with...

I would just get a DMT D8C 325 lapping plate for the nortons, you'll find it very efficient to flatten them, and you'll need to do that after sharpening the knives. Hone with that setup until you're getting real good shaves at the 8k level and then you're ready to put the icing on the cake with the 12k. My 2 cents.

I agree with Jimmy here, get yourself a lapping plate and then the 12k Naniwa later on and you'll be sound as a pound

Naturals are good but they're variable too, and you have to learn how to use each one. The good thing about synthetics is they're consistent, so if you post asking for advice there will definitely be someone who has the same stone and knows about it. Whereas with a natural every answer is caveated with "this may vary depending on your stone".

Good luck and keep us posted

It helps greatly to first become proficient with man made hones since they can produce tangible and exact results. Naturals are great, my personal favorites, but their mastery sometimes needs a lot more experimentation and practice than is needed for using the Norton's (or equivalent). Having a strong knife sharpening background with your Norton's should also speed up your learning curve- as long as you have a mindset that honing a razor is in many ways completely different. I like to keep my knife hones and razor hones separate but you don't have to as long as the hone is lapped well before bringing a razor on it. My progression is mainly this; Chosera 1K> Naniwa SS; 5,8,12>Zulu Grey>leather. The important thing to remember is to not progress to next hone until you have achieved the max benefit out of the current one.

Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm going to lap my 4K and 8K (probably my 1K for good measure as well), and put steel to the grindstone. Hopefully my face doesn't show signs of my novice honing abilities!

Originally Posted by gjcourt

I've acquired my SR, which came with a hanging strop (linen/leather combo). Shaved with it a few times, but because it is of a more antique nature, I find myself needing to touch up the edge on a hone.

I've seen a lot of play (who hasn't?) on the Norton 4/8K combo stone. I have a set of 4 Norton hones (220,1K,4K,8K) that I use on kitchen knives with great success. I am able to put a very usable edge on any blade with these along with a hand-made strop (a friend's handiwork). I assume that even though these hones aren't of a combo nature, they are of the same material/quality. Is this the case, or is the 4/8 combo stone that gets a lot of attention slightly different somehow?

That said are there opinions as to whether or not I should buy a separate 4/8K combo stone, distinct for my razor?

Additionally, I've read a little about the Naniwa 12K, and it intrigues me. I like the idea of an even finer finish to a razor than the 8K hone I use on my kitchen/pocket knives. Is it worth the effort to purchase and keep this additional stone?

Better yet, what about an all-mighty Coticule? Is this an improvement over the Norton and Naniwa stones? My one concern with the Coticule is how I purchase one. I live in NY, and would prefer to avoid international shipping costs if possible. Are there 'dealers' for this stone? Are they easy(ish) to find in the states?

Thanks for the help!

Cool how we are pretty close in the world.
Bummer with these stones theirs tons of choices on what stones to choice.
I even sometimes use Arkansas stones.
I Might be able to show ya a few coticules in person.