Thread: Suehiro Gokomyu 20K Waterstone

Re the Truing of the Suehiro G 20, I note a few comments on the different sides of the stone being used due to a variety of good reasons. I think what this is pointing to, is that this stone is seriously hard so grid it and lap it properly out of the box, then it'll be sweet.

If you are using the bottom side, the inked side, at this grit if the stone is not lapped, the ink might damage the ink. At least the inked part will not be polishing.

Mine is a new one and lapped quickly and easily.

I think the key is pressure, weight of blade and number of laps under 10.

Just to throw a spanner in the works, Suehiro's Gokumyo series, comes in 3 sizes a 10k a 15k and the much lauded 20k. I enjoyed having the 20k, and as such looked at results, the difference being significant....Anyway against all sensible advice I bought the middle ground a bout 3 weeks ago, that's right guys I bought the 15k to complete my set of synthetics completely. I hear the voices saying 'Your an idiot, the 20k does it all'. That being the case, When I hone a razor I progress through all my hones and come up with a result that I'm happy with. For touch ups, I'm open to suggestion, can anyone add a solution?

Cheers Bobski

Originally Posted by bobski

Just to throw a spanner in the works, Suehiro's Gokumyo series, comes in 3 sizes a 10k a 15k and the much lauded 20k. I enjoyed having the 20k, and as such looked at results, the difference being significant....Anyway against all sensible advice I bought the middle ground a bout 3 weeks ago, that's right guys I bought the 15k to complete my set of synthetics completely. I hear the voices saying 'Your an idiot, the 20k does it all'. That being the case, When I hone a razor I progress through all my hones and come up with a result that I'm happy with. For touch ups, I'm open to suggestion, can anyone add a solution?

Cheers Bobski

Your 20k is your touch up stone. Another option is a pasted strop.

Originally Posted by mainaman

Your 20k is your touch up stone. Another option is a pasted strop.

What he said. The 20K is a rather aggressive stone. Look at what it can do (under magnification) to remove scratch marks of a 4/5K synthetic stone in just 10 light x strokes. You will be amazed...I was. I have no problem going from Shapton GS 8K to the G20. I'm afraid my Shapton GS 16K may get lonely...

Excellent point gentlemen. That's the joy of collecting, using and maintaining straight razors. About a year ago, I looked at my collection of hones, and said to myself, 'That's it'. I'm like a kid in a toy shop. My daughter just last week bought me a Puma W 71 Stainless 4/8 (Probably started life as a 5/8) a little work on the 1k to get rid of a few pits and nicks, and it has now been welcomed into my collection. I'm glad I don't have an affection for Ferrari's or Diamonds....lol

Originally Posted by shooter74743

What he said. The 20K is a rather aggressive stone. Look at what it can do (under magnification) to remove scratch marks of a 4/5K synthetic stone in just 10 light x strokes. You will be amazed...I was. I have no problem going from Shapton GS 8K to the G20. I'm afraid my Shapton GS 16K may get lonely...

I'm a 'what he said' about "what he said"

I used to go to the 16k Shapton just before my finishing stone.....a Jnat, Escher, etc..

But, I found that going from the 16k Shapton to the Suehiro 20k gave a very sharp, but less comfortable edge. I don't use crox/diamond etc..

I started going from the 8k Shapton to the 20k and, as said, it cuts quickly and gives a great edge from the 8k with minimal strokes.

Regards,

Howard

Originally Posted by bobski

Excellent point gentlemen. That's the joy of collecting, using and maintaining straight razors. About a year ago, I looked at my collection of hones, and said to myself, 'That's it'. I'm like a kid in a toy shop. My daughter just last week bought me a Puma W 71 Stainless 4/8 (Probably started life as a 5/8) a little work on the 1k to get rid of a few pits and nicks, and it has now been welcomed into my collection. I'm glad I don't have an affection for Ferrari's or Diamonds....lol

I'm sure your daughter is happy you don't either.

Now gents, a month or so down the track, I just wanted some feedback from those who feel they are getting the most out of the stone, reaching it's potential. I have found a couple of things I'd seek some words of wisdom for. The first thing is pressure. I've watched a video by hibudgl doing two lots of six strokes revealing swarf marks. My question is pressure. I've always been told/found less is better. If per se I was wanting to touch up a Dovo Bismarck and I felt it had just gotten a bit dull, needing a touch up. Assuming I'd go straight to the 20k, what sort of stroke number 'should' I be looking at and the corresponding pressure. It is a different stone to the naniwa finisher, is there a different approach. The scratch pattern should be fairly low from the 12k so what is appropriate, given the jump? Cheers friends.

Originally Posted by bobski

If per se I was wanting to touch up a Dovo Bismarck and I felt it had just gotten a bit dull, needing a touch up. Assuming I'd go straight to the 20k, what sort of stroke number 'should' I be looking at and the corresponding pressure. It is a different stone to the naniwa finisher, is there a different approach. The scratch pattern should be fairly low from the 12k so what is appropriate, given the jump? Cheers friends.

Here's a thought. If a razor is a bit dull why you use a final stone to resharpen it ? Do you consider the 8 or 12k stage 'a bit dull' prior to 20k work ? I'm not saying it can't be done but it's not the purpose of that stone.

You could use the 20k as a maintenance stone to keep a sharp edge sharp but I think you are facing diminishing returns to sharpen a dull blade with a 20k.
A few strokes at the end of the week would be a better regime IMHO.

As far as pressure goes it should always be light enough to not flex the blade... unless you deliberately need to thin the bevel & not actually sharpen the edge.