Thread: Preferred Side of Gokumyo 20k

Favorite 2 sides! I always lap one side of the stone also, I don't use it much but sometimes a warped blade can be accessed easier on the side of the stone. And shipping is a few weeks at least. Recently got the 10k and was 3 weeks or so. I also have the 15k.

Not to get off topic here, but I just wanted to comment on everyones feedback of this stone.

This stone truly is remarkable. I am by no means am I a pro honer (I only hone the razors I use), but this stone just gave my confidence level a huge boost. I was getting satisfying shaves off of my escher, coticule and naniwa 12k SS, but nowhere near some of the pro honed razors I own. Now, it is hard to tell the difference between my edges coming off of the SG 20k and my pro honeds (Not all, but seriously damn close). I would literally spend hours trying to get a good to great shave off of my coticule/escher to basically 20 minutes with the SG 20k for an even better shave. This stone is easy, has great feedback and most importantly it's just damn fun to hone on. Kudos to the Suehiro Gokumyo 20k.

Now back to the original topic at hand....

It is a great stone, I agree, but there is nothing mystical or magical about it. It doesn't do any honing for you or make up for poor prep, sp please don't imagine that by buying one you will become a better honer overnight - aint gonna happen!

If your technique is good than you should get a great edge from any finishing stone once you get a feel for its characteristics. If your edge is not quite there than no finishing stone, the SG20k included, is going to make up for that.

In short, in the hands of someone who knows what he is doing it is a marvelous tool. In the hands of anyone else it is a bit of man-made rock.

Regarding the OP, I only use one side. With a set of Atoma plates it is easy to lap the hone to readiness, and I find no point in lapping both sides, especially as differential movement affects this stone a bit, like it does the higher grit choseras and shaptons, and super stones. No point in leaving something lapped if there is no guarantee that it is not going to be as flat as when you lapped it when you do come to use it. For this reason I always lap before honing and not afterwards.

As for the markings - sheesh, its just a tool, who cares whats written on it?!

Regards,
Neil

It is synthetic , should be uniform

To be fair, being synthetic is no guarantee of uniformity in a hone. We all know of synthetics that have to have the bejasus lapped out of the top of them to get down past the shiny 'laitance' layer...

Regards,
Neil

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

To be fair, being synthetic is no guarantee of uniformity in a hone. We all know of synthetics that have to have the bejasus lapped out of the top of them to get down past the shiny 'laitance' layer...

Regards,
Neil

I have never had issues with any synthetic, but in general I agree there is no perfect in this world.

The slurry stone they give you works great in cleaning swarf. I also use a kiita tomo for this as well. As was said if your 12k or whatever edge preceding the sg is worthy, it will take it that much more.