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So I think it would be fun to see everyone rank their finisher preference. Your list can include as many as you like as well as any type. I'll start us off and remember this is all about YOUR, "not the", best finisher.
1. Nakayama Asagi
2. Zulu grey
3. Special stone
4. Escher/Thuri
5. Coticule
6. Nani 12k
I have a few others, but nothing worth really mentioning. So what finisher works best for your face?
This is an interesting question, one that I have though a lot about recently, as I have toyed with buying a Suehiro Gokumyo 20K.
I suspect most of those stones, (the good ones) are around 12K and it is the ability of the driver to squeeze out a finer edge, equivalent of a higher grit stone.
The real question is, do you need more? I doubt it.
With the Nano paste available now, not much has really changed, even though we are now able to go to 160K grit equivalent. interesting how Chrome Oxide, the great equalizer has been around… forever.
The other stone left out, are High grit Arks, which are capable of producing finishes much higher that the stones grit rating.
The answer to the OP, will come down to favorites. I like Arks, 12K Super Stone and 1um film.
1. Naniwa 12k
2. Coticule
3. Zulu Gray
4. I have a PHIG
Re read the OP. re, my favorites, not the best.
Still, Arks, 12k SS and 1um film. Lately I have been playing with Barber Hones after a conversation with Wolfpack34 and Royalshave a few months ago. I have always minimized them and only collected them from bundle deals. Wolfpack has an amazing collection of Barber Hones, and hones in general.
But recently, I bought a couple of Pinder Ivory scaled Sheffield razors from a guy who honed them on a King 1K and finished on a Barber Hone. The edge was amazing, his skill and great steel, may have had something to do with it.
Bottom line, I have got some great edges lately from my new collection of Barber Hones. If you are new to Barber Hones, use tape, they can be deceptively aggressive.
As far as the OP, a 12k Super Stone is hard to beat, for ease of use, consistency and keen, yet comfortable edge.
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I am lucky to have a choice. So any day and a different blade affects my choice. So does the need for time spent on a finisher.
(That said, If I did my work on the lower grits, not much time is needed at all.)
Above 8K:
Some select barber hones renewed and flattened do quickly deliver up to about 16K effective.
The Thuringians' through Y/G
HGH
Zulu
Welsh and unknown mud stones
The translucent and black Arkies
dappled phigs
~Richard
For me (at this point in time) there is only one finisher that concerns me, the Suehiro 20k. I have two Jnat that are also nice and used to have a Zulu. I've had other razors honed by others on Jnats or Escher. I'll take the Suehiro edge over them all. I don't even entertain the idea of buying any other finishers right now. I've had it for a year now and its quenched my thirst for finishing stones. My next set of stones will be a better bevel setter and something to replace the 4k side of my Norton. Is the Suehiro all that others have said? To me it is. The edges are incredibly smooth and laser sharp.
The Escher yellow/green is the best thing since bread ...... :angel:
The Suehiro 20K is the best thing since sliced bread ....... ;)
A norton 8k or a coticule ain't half bad either ....... :p
I like them all!
Yeah,,, they're sort of like your children,,, hard to rank them,,,, they all have they're moments.
Oh, a tough question indeed.
I'm not sure I am able to make a list, much of what I use depends on what razor i'm honing and what tickles my fancy on that day.
Then there is the whole hobby-aspect as well.
Part of the fun in this hobby, for me, is to play around with all them great finishers.
Without any rating or ranking though, these are some of the great ones that I have and use frequently:
Suehiro Gokumyo 20K
One particular Coticule that I have.
Shapton pro 30K
Charnley forrests
Several JNats, from various mines and stratas
Naniwa 12K
Y/G Escher
Norton barber hone
Sigma Select II 13K
Now what's an HGH? It's fun seeing what everyone is saying and I think the Suehiro looks to have a pretty loyal following.
Edit: So I looked up the HGH and it's a gorgeous looking stone from Rezdog. Funny I have found out about two new hones today; the HGH and the Apache strata stone....My wallet may be taking a beating soon and that's sad because I haven't bought a new hone in months.
I like my translucent Arkie.
Mike
In chronological order:
1. Norton 4/8 8K side;
2. Escher/thuri;
3. Shapton 16K ceramic on glass;
4. Jnat Nakayama Maruka Maruichi Asagi Thingi
James.
I just got 2 Vintage Thuringians from Hatzicho, a blue and a Y/G and haven't had many shaves from them yet. But the ones I have had are very nice. One of my favorite combos right now is a Sigma power select ii, followed by the zulu grey. Super edges from that. Blah, blah, blah, here's my list.
1. My Vintage Coticule
2. Sigma 13k/Zulu grey
3. Vintage Y/G Thuri
4. Nani 12k
dificult question indeed,
1. my first coticule (I think a la dressante, not sure)
2. the hybrid side of my Les Latneuses coticule
3. apache hone (it's new, only shaved once with an edge it produced)
4. Dragon Tongue from AJ (not to sharp but smooth)
5. Charnley Forest (still have to figure this one out to be honest)
6. La Lune stone only for good razors (here also, I have spend to litle time with it for this ranking to mean anything)
7. LM from AJ (have to give this hone a decent chance some day as well)
8. AJ's high grit gray hone (this one I did give a decent chance and I basicly don't like it)
someone here used to say the following: "no amount of money spent on a stone can replace the time spent learning how to use it" and this is basicly true, of these 8 hones I only know 4 decently
1 translucent arkansas
2 surgical black arkansas
3 10k king ice bear.
4 welsh slate.
A hard question because the right stone isn't always the same one but if I had too
1-Suehiro 20K
2-blue-green Escher
3-Shapton 30K Glass
4-Coticule
Here is my best finishers:
- Pierre la Lune (purple)
- Y/G Escher
- blue Escher
- vintage Thuri
- Zulu Grey
Regards,
AG
I have a swaty that I used to use. then I got the 12K supper stone and I liked it quiet well. then I was introduced to the Suehiro 20K buy a friend. I pretty much fell in love all over again. Now I know I don't have the time and experience a lot of you folks have but for me these have been easier to use and give the best results especially for a beginner.
That SG20K is one heck of a finisher. I may sell my Nakayama since it's sitting these days. The results are very similar, but the SG20K is faster, easier, and trouble free.
Whew! You guys are TOUGH! A Naniwa 12k and a blue/green Escher. A few magical barber's hones, an old Coti I don't finish on much.
All superb for their best usage.
It's difficult to nail down the best one because there is a certain enjoyment gotten from owning more than one finisher. Can't imagine having only one finisher. That would greatly narrow the experience.
Nakayama Maruichi Asagi from old_school
Light Green Escher
Gokumyo 20k
Another Asagi from Sham
Black Thuringian
Coticule 6x2
Naniwa 12k
Norton 8k
Blue Shumate Barber Hone
Man I really don't know... it just depends on my mood! I guess lately I am really enjoying my Black Ark - but that may be more nostalgia than anything??
I'll say this though - every time a read a thread like this I keep thinking I REALLY need to pic up a "Suehiro Gokumyo 20K".
____________________________________________Quote:
Originally Posted by earcutter
____________________________
David, The Suehiro 20k isn't magical, it's just manufactured by the angels and the saints. Never read any complaints. :beer2:
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It's funny how you read this and start to see these trends that get your HAD wheels turning. I'm surprised to see the Arkie making a decent presence with all the big hitter hones.Quote:
Originally Posted by earcutter
I dont really count my 12k Naniwa or 16k Shapton as finishers (even though they are), purely because I use other natural stones afterwards for that final finish and to add smoothness. So I'll count those out in this list hehe!
1. Nakayama Asagi
2. Thuringian (Another member did say to me that its actually an Escher but in the absence of a label lets call it a Thurry).
3. Charnley Forest
4. Coticule
I sold the CF and the Coti a while back purely because I wasnt using them, and TBH I wonder if the Thurry will go the same way at some point. The Asagi is so good that its the finisher I use every time!
And then I'm basically using either Naniwa SS (1/3/8/12k) or Shapton Glass (1/4/8/16k) beforehand depending the grind of the razor and how hard the steel is. Heavier grinds and harder steel means Shapton, otherwise SS. Works for me!
This is a loaded Question, because it depends on what kind of edge the blade can take. But in general i would list mine in this order:
Y/G escher
Charnley Forest
Franz Swaty (3line)
Nani12k
My Coticule and ZG
- although this thread has peaked my interest in Arkie's
Wow this is a good thread - been asked a million times but I like to see everyone's rankings. I have a few new ones so not really enough time to rank them objectively. I'm enjoying my La Lune and Apache and still playing with my Escher. But like Wolfpack once asked - what would you take to a desert island if you could only take one?
Answer - 00 Frictionite.
Not just because of its versatility, but that its finished edge rivals that of the best edges I've been fortunate enough to experience. But like others have said, it's just so fun to use them ALL!
I'll have to remember this one since I'm planning on getting a higher grit stone. All I have up to this point is the Norton 200/1k, 4k/8k and a Swaty that I have no idea of its grit so I just use it when I feel a mild tug on my cheeks.
Well as far as "rank;" I do have a very fine mud hone, slate type, that will cross your eyes with the stench.
~Richard
Debble made me do it!
Nice thread! My turn now.
I've been keeping notes from my first stone. I don't have it near me but here is a summary as I remember;
Depending from stone to stone on a single type, you can see a huge difference. Like night and day.
From coarser to finer, with the same type of stone appearing more than once, as below are stones I got at some point,
Coticule, vintage somewhat soft, prefinisher
TOS classic, prefinisher
Grecian, soft, gritty, prefinisher
Yellow lake vintage, somewhere between prefinisher and finisher, tiny bit finer than the 8k norton,
Coticule, a regular, if there is such a thing, just a little finer than a norton
llyn Idwal, very hard, loses points because of harshness
Cretan stone, dark type,
Water of Ayr, a "fine" graded piece,
Silkstone labeled, quite harsh,
Coticule, hard but not gritty, I had two stones of a specific type, pure finisher grade like all below and the two above,
Chinese "12k" stone, the majority of stones I bought belong here, with the very fine coticule stones,
Everkeen, although not all are as fine as a good Thuri,
Thuringian, light coloured,
Charnley forest, most of the Charnleys I got belong in this place,
Water of Ayr, one specific stone, extremely fine and smoother than a good coticule,
Sigma 13k with CeO stropping afterwards, extremely sharp, or should I say "dangerously" sharp,
A white TOS, I don't think I'll ever see that kind of edge from a Western stone, it was darn fine stone, not harsh, but scary sharp,
Shobu asagi, Ozuku asagi, and all those good, unfortunately expensive, Jnats, arguably, nothing can beat them.
I haven't placed any other man made as I can't remember good enough their edges to place them somewhere, and a few naturals are missing as I have negative opinion about them and they just might not deserve it.
The list is my personal opinion, and, for now.
I only have arks for finishers but they work for me
