Thread: Advice on Selection of stones

I am in the process of starting to make my first lot of straight razors. I will be forging from 1095.

i am comfortable with the grind but would really like some advice on the best set of stones/grits from setting the bevel through to final sharpening. How many do I need? I assume at least 3?

i already have strops as I use them for my knives. I've just never sharpened on stone before as being a knife makers mainly used my grinder then paper wheels.

I would go 100% synthetic. Learn them, love them, master them.

You'll need more than 3 stones I would think.

We're you to chose say Naniwa's:

220 or 400 to get started (maybe) - then maybe a 1k, 3k or 4k, 8k, with a 12k finishing stone.

That's my guess anyway. Most guys here have more than 3 stones and we aren't producing blades!!

Good luck!!

All of them. Actually I haven't read the post yet. I shall go back to read it now.

Ok now that I have read it. I would say if your wanting efficiency and speed then diamonds might be the way to go. I don't know how thin your going to get the edge before you stop grinding but the diamonds will make short work plus no lapping....ever. Now that edge might not be the smoothest but if your just doing a basic edge then it would be acceptable I would think. If your wanting to produce shave ready customs then maybe throw in a nice high grit synthetic... maybe a Nani 12k or Shapton 16K.

A DMT 325 would probably be your most useful stone. The a 1k stone would definitely be next. I have those two grits in diamonds because those are the ones I spend the most time on. Plus you can use the diamonds to lap your non diamond stones.

Diamonds cut a little too deep to be effective. Yes they cut fast, But the scratches are that deep that you will have to spend longer on the upward progression removing those deep scratches from the edge to prevent them causing chips on the final edge.

Diamonds have a place in the honing rotation, and that is for restoration and stone flattening. They have no real place in the honing process other than that.

The Naniwa superstone 12K is a great stone, I use one myself. It's not a stone for a professional. It's prone to clogging, and needs lapping every use. If your doing more than 1 razor at a time say 5-10 razors at each stone progression batch style then the Naniwa superstone is a liability. If I had to do that with the 12K naniwa it would get throw across the room, And I love my 12K

I was suggesting the diamonds because he's going to have to establish a bevel. He would be able to do that quickly. Then he could worry later and really it doesn't take that long. I follow up my diamond 1k with a coticule and from slurry to clear water maybe 20 minutes. With a synthetic it would be faster. but thats just me.

I thought you were implying using a diamond rotation. So it's my bad.

There are some diamond hones available, and diamond plates that go pretty high up the grit scale. I thought you meant use those!!!

http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...ond-hones.html

Originally Posted by Iceni

I thought you were implying using a diamond rotation. So it's my bad.

There are some diamond hones available, and diamond plates that go pretty high up the grit scale. I thought you meant use those!!!

http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...ond-hones.html

Yeah my bad I can see that the way I worded it. I know I remember some one on here used a full diamond rotation at least up to the 8k DMT. I don't know if they finished with something else or shaved off of that but yeah I wouldn't want to shave off an 8k diamond

Great advice. Thankyou Guys!

To clear up my question, these razors (three of them) are for myself and family members and should be shave ready when complete. I am not concerned with efficiency and budget is not a major concern. Learning by feel and a quality finished product are my Main criteria.

I just wanted peoples opinion on the best range of grits and types of hones, especially once I have finished my final grind to start setting a correct bevel.

I will be grinding to a very fine point. I should be able to get the blade reasonably sharp straight off my grinder finishing off on a trizact belts. It is more the transition from my grinder to setting the correct bevel I am mainly concerned with.

I don't know what to comment with other then today I stropped a razor on my leather belt
to show a friend what a nice piece of leather does to a edge.
And it was only sharpened a fine side of a course fine oil stone a old one.
Then hard ark and then clear Arkansas. I was shaving my face right in front of him by the pool with
no minor so it would be able to get it done with only 3 stones.