Thread: What hones between Chosera 1k & Escher?

I bought a small escher a while ago, with the hope of simply maintaining professionally honed razors, but now I want to get into honing from Bevel-setting to finish. I have ordered a Chosera 1k as it seems to be well respected for setting a bevel, but hoping others could recommend the best options for the stones in between the Chosera and the Escher?

I am getting a Norton 4/8K secondhand, more for learning due to the abundance of shared knowledge on this site, but what would be recommended for the ideal stones in between? Once I have learnt what I need to I intend on retiring the Norton from razors and using it for kitchen knives, unless there is a convincing argument to keep using the Norton.
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I also have a DMT 325 on order to be able to lap them.

Thanks.

You can go from the norton 8 to 12k then escher. I have a 15k suehiro so I use that when i use mine.

Hi Andrew,

the Norton 4k/8k is a very good stone and apart from the hassle of soaking (and smoothing out the 4k side before you start), I have found it very usable. You can get terrific edges off the 8k which you could quite happily shave with. Of course, those edges can be improved by the Escher.

If I was starting out again I think I would buy a set of Shapton glass stones. These stones don't need soaking and are very predictable in their characteristics. However, half the fun of this game lies in the variables and a nice selection of naturals, either Japanese or other types could make for interesting times. Others have gone the route of the Naniwa superstones, the Chosera range or the Shapton Pro ceramics. Some are keen on Coticules, which were the stone of choice for barbers in years past and in the right hands can produce superb edges.

My final word of advice, and I'm prepared to be caned for this, is to stay away from the so-called barber hones. These early synthetic hones are of very variable quality and for every good one you might pick up at a flea market you will get a dodgy one that does nothing for your Norton 8k honed edge and indeed could make it worse.

Have fun and hope to meet up at your place in July

Mike

what Maladroit said is pretty solid, it's all your own choice and manny of them are good choices.

recently there were some complaints about the 4K side of the Norton and I believe some of them switched to the Naniwa superstone 3/8 combo from there you could go to the 12K superstone or use a light slurry on your esher to dilute while honing to pure water.

personaly I'm a big fan of the coticule stones which for me does it all exept for bevel setting (but it requires some skill)

The Norton 4/8 seems to me to be ideal for bridging that gap.
Sure, you could get even more out of your Escher with say a 12K Naniwa SS in there as well.
Honestly though, used correctly, the 1-4-8-Escher in the right hands will deliver super smooth shaves.
IMHO that is.

I use a Norton 4k/8k in that gap, and that is my normal method of honing. I still have my Naniwa SS 5k and 8k, but I don't use them anymore. I don't think there is a need for anything between the 8k and the Escher, but that could just be my Escher. They are naturals, so YMMV.

Yup. Add the 12k if it makes you feel better but it's not terribly necessary before the Escher.