Thread: What would be a nice polishing stone for me?

Hi, i currently own 2 combo stone : 220/1k norton + 4k/8k norton. I am fairly new to honing and I dont want to spend a tons of money on a new sharpening stone for multiple reasons. Do you guys think I could be ok with those stones, if not what would be a good stone not too pricy for polishing ?

How are the shaves off the 8k going ????

I am still practicing on a old razor (that I can not shave with because it need a restauration). I have a brand new straight razor but I don't feel confortable honing it yet. So I can't tell if the 8k is doing the job :S That is why I am asking.

Basically the real truth is simple, until you can get a decent comfortable shave from just the 8k level, then anything higher is a waste of time and money...

When you realize that you don't NEED a finisher is when one is going to make a noticeable improvement


When you reach that conclusion, then it is really hard to beat the Naniwa 12k at a good price point, in fact they are hard to beat period

+1 to what Glenn said. When I finally got consistent comfortable shaves off the 8k, the 12k Nani just brought them to another level.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Basically the real truth is simple, until you can get a decent comfortable shave from just the 8k level, then anything higher is a waste of time and money...

When you realize that you don't NEED a finisher is when one is going to make a noticeable improvement

When you reach that conclusion, then it is really hard to beat the Naniwa 12k at a good price point, in fact they are hard to beat period

I recently followed exactly that advice, and it paid off. I stuck with 8k (in my case, Naniwa 3k/8k combo) until I could reliably get good shaving edges from it, and only then did I get a Naniwa 12k. The 12k is an excellent stone, but to get it to work well you do need to achieve a good lower-grit edge first.

Mac, the scoop you're getting from Glen, JF, Oscroft - will not be improved upon. You have everything you need for great shaves already. I couldn't agree more about the Nani 12k also.

One thing that can cloud the path to progress is how one chooses a blade to practice/learn on. Bravo for using something other than a costly vintage razor in good shape. But if its a fleabag special that needs restorative grinding before honing - you're taking the hard road. You can be doing everything right - and still get lousy results because the edge isn't ready for honing. The magic marker test is your friend. Coat the edge w/ high-contrast felt-tipped marker - black, red, doesn't matter and take a couple of your lightest, smoothest strokes and see if the marker is evenly removed on the whole length of cutting edge. If there are any gaps in the marker removal - I'd shop around for a Pro who will do the resto grinding and send back a just a carefully done bevel - no more.
With a good bevel, you can get a much more accurate picture of your results. When successful, you can lightly dull and reproduce that bevel. This allows you to develop the memory in your fingers of what 'normal' is supposed to feel like. When that becomes regular and your 8k shaves are a pleasure - then and only then will the higher grit rocks bring anything to the party. Then you're also able to take on the more difficult tasks for restorative grinding on your 220 stone.

How about a Franz Swaty hone?

The Swaty works fine, but is no more fine than the Norton 8. 'A tad more smoothness from my experience. The honorable Mrsell has mentioned good results from a Frictionite 00.

I was under the impression that the Swaty was closer to 12k grit and that is why people buy them as a final hone or to refresh an edge. Can anyone confirm that? If they are no smoother really than my Norton 8k then I purchased the Swaty for nothing.