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I would suggest starting out with the 12k. It is way cheaper and a very useful stone. Great for finishing and for touching up. If you eventually get a 20k the 12k is a useful step between the 8k and the 20k. Unless you just have to have the so called ultimate, the 12k might be all you would ever want/need.Quote:
Originally Posted by aquapura1
I have the Naniwa 4k 8k combo and go to the 12k from there. Works for me but if I were to buy stones today I would buy the Pro series nanaiwas. I have the pro 1000k and a 600k and they are both super fast. ( I only use the 600k for knives that are in bad shape, then go to the 1000k)
By adding the Naniwa SS 12K, you will have a more than adequate system to maintain and finish your blades. Anything beyond this is gravy so long as your puttin' in the work at the lower grit levels and achieving the proper results before proceeding to the higher grit stones and have a good bevel set.
About the Suehiro Gokumyo. After having previously used a stellar Nakayama finisher to put the final touches on my razors I have recently obtained the SG20K. It's my opinion that the beauty of this stone lies in its speed and ease of use. It has the capability to effortlessly improve a 12K edge. Splash and go, and if you have a nice edge at 12K, the 20K will make it so much better in about 60 seconds. Certainly these results can be obtained with other stones, but none so easily and quickly as with the SG20K.
My normal honing progression in a Norton 4k/8k then C12K followed by a CrOx paddle. I get great edges from these. Yours should too.
Hi Everyone
I'm once again overwhelmed by everyone's answers and quality of responses. Everyone has helped and i'm wiser for it. I think I'll probably get a 12K superstone for now and perhaps obtain the 20K further down the line.
:D thank again!
Cheers
Just to be clear, there is no such thing as a 12k chinese superstone.Quote:
Originally Posted by aquapura1
The 12k SuperStone is made by Naniwa (japanese).
A chinese natural stone is unfortunately and mistakenly referred to as a chinese 12k.
A chinese natural is $20-$30.
A Naniwa ss12k is about $75.
A 20k gokumyo is about $200.
Any of them will improve a properly honed 8k edge, but the Chinese stone will be variable in how well it does this.
The Gokumyo 20k is currently $250 at the cheapest place to buy it that I've seen, and usually is a bit north of that (it fluctuates based on the dollar to yen exchange rate). I think if you prefer going with a cheaper stone for now you'd be better served by the Naniwa than the Chinese stone - the Naniwa has many many very good reviews, the Chinese stone not so much. Actually, if you want to try a finisher, I will give you one of my new natural stones I've been using for the cost of shipping if you'd like to try using it. You can probably follow your Norton 8k with it just fine, but you'll get best results with a layer of tape after the 8k so you don't need to make a very large number of laps. I've found that the stone actually cuts finer than my Gokumyo 20k when used right, and really gives me a very good shave.
http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...hat-might.html
I have the 10-15 and 20K Gokumyo.
what I have found is that when coming off the Norton 8k, the 15 is the perfect balance of fineness vs speed.
one could also use the 20k, but that would require more quality strokes and a really refined 8k edge to work as well as possible
Hey mate,
Two weeks ago I received my Suehiro Gokumyo 20k. I jump from 12k to 20k, I'm thrilled. The Gok 20 is an exceptional stone. It is also a $300 stone. Go for it!
Just to add my 2 cents. I currently go from the 4/8 Norton to a Nani 12kSS. This gives me my best edges to date. I follow that with plain canvas then leather and it's buttery smooth. Jimmy is right, though, if you can't get a DFS from the 8k, you shouldn't even think of going further.