Thread: What Do You Think About The Shapton 30K

Originally Posted by glytch5

I have read through the above few pages of posts, mainly because I am torn between which stone I want... the 20k gok, or the 30k shap.
I own 500 1k 4k 8k 16k glass, and a full line of naniwa supers... and waaaay too many others. In my defense, I am a long time knife guy!

I have a couple very pretty Jnats, some coticules and a really nice black ark that I love, but for whatever reason I get my best results going synthetic... always have. Perhaps its because I have a very coarse beard, and sensitive skin I need that sharpness.

Anyway... I want a stone that I can shave directly off from comfortably... I know you guys always say "get a good shave off this or that stone"
But when you say "shave off" do you mean, from a wet razor straight to your face, or after a quick strop up on linen+leather? I want to be able to go from stone to face, nothing in between.
I can't quiiiite do that, my best results come off the 10k super stone, followed by a stropman strop with Crox, then Iron ox then linen+leather. 12k super stone I have not mastered yet.

Don't know which to go for... I would like to have a full shapton set buuut... it would be nice to spend less money haha

I've had the full set of shapton pros (years ago) and the super stones, also years ago. All great stones. Never being satisfied with what I had I ended up moving those along to good homes and now have the norton I started with, and a set of choseras and the gok 20k.

No matter which hone I 'shave off of' I always strop on leather ........ sometimes linen/leather, but I always strop first. I never follow a finishing hone with paste of any kind. If I do that how can I assess the quality of the hone, and my ability with it ?

Having had the 30k I would recommend the 20k ......... especially if you are a knife guy as well as razors.

IMHO.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Hint:

Look at the hones that have been mentioned the most in this thread

Shapton 16k = .92 ~

G20K = "The numbers presented today here" = .50 ~

Shapton 30k = .49 ~



Am I the only one that notices an slight mathematical error here ?????

Once again I will say it

The numbers mean nothing unless you are comparing to the same series of hones..

would you consider that grits, microns and what not are sometimes misleading? after using several hones and pastes and sprays at some point I started considering whether or not the shave was good not how fine a hone is as an indicator of quality edges.

"I want to be able to go from stone to face, nothing in between."

Why would you not want to strop it? A strop is a very important tool plus the last thing you use on your razor before shaving.
As far as your question, the 20k is sufficient enough. A Shapton 30k is a nice hone but very expensive plus you don't want to use a 30k on everything. I have one & I don't use it all the time. I also have a 20k & I love it. I use it more often than the 30k. When I do use my 30k, I follow Glen's 3-2-1 method. One time I used it & I got sidetracked. Instead of putting 1 stroke on it in the last part, I put about 4-5 on it & it was sharp..............too sharp. It was so sharp, it cut me almost every time I touched my face with it & was a very uncomfortable shave. My face was burning after that along with my other battle scars I had from it. I'm not putting the 30k down, it is a great hone but I don't always use it. After going back to 8k, repeating everything plus doing the 3-2-1 correctly, it was just fine. A Shapton 30k will make a razor scary sharp but isn't always necessary for finishing a razor. To answer your question, a 20k is what you want. A 16k is even a great finisher & a lot of members here don't even go that far. The 20k is far more affordable than the 30k.

I bought the 20k... thanks guys.

I want to be able to go from stone to face just because I havent done it yet. I'm able to "shave off" stones with strops in between but, wouldn't it be nice to only need one stone to keep your razor sharp indefinitely, without anything else? No strops, no compounds or other stones, just a few light strokes before every shave? Idk sounds cool to me! Thanks for the info dudes.

Originally Posted by glytch5

I bought the 20k... thanks guys.

I want to be able to go from stone to face just because I havent done it yet. I'm able to "shave off" stones with strops in between but, wouldn't it be nice to only need one stone to keep your razor sharp indefinitely, without anything else? No strops, no compounds or other stones, just a few light strokes before every shave? Idk sounds cool to me! Thanks for the info dudes.

I'm glad you got the 20k. You still need to strop your razor but all due respect, it's your face, you do it whichever way you want.

Stropping on leather aligns the edge, as I understand it. It is not a part of the honing or sharpening process. Though some use sprays and pastes for sharpening or polishing during the stropping process. Stropping on leather is for alignment of the edge. Most consider it an essential element of the whole process and experience.

I think its essential too, but I know for example over at ThePerfectEdge, they just finish on the 30k. Im pretty sure mr.Schecter does not strop... at all.
He finishes on the 30k and shaves, when his edge starts to fade he does a few laps on a coticule to bring the edge up. Not because the coticule is super fine, but because of what it does to the edge.

I was settled on not getting a Shapton 30k when I watched Gssixgun(Glen) do a honing demonstration using it - he took a razor, and did 3, yes 3 laps on the stone...he shrugs in the video and goes that's it - done.

Originally Posted by glytch5

wouldn't it be nice to only need one stone to keep your razor sharp indefinitely, without anything else?

If shaving is strictly a utilitarian pursuit it might be nice, but for those of us who enjoy playing with hones and strops it would be less than fulfilling. Gotta feed the ADs.

Originally Posted by glytch5

I think its essential too, but I know for example over at ThePerfectEdge, they just finish on the 30k. Im pretty sure mr.Schecter does not strop... at all.
He finishes on the 30k and shaves, when his edge starts to fade he does a few laps on a coticule to bring the edge up. Not because the coticule is super fine, but because of what it does to the edge.

All of the old barber manuals that I'm aware of say that stropping following honing is necessary. Some say leather only, some linen/leather, but all say strop. Old barbers I've observed all of my life stropped their razors before shaving a customer, and some in the midst of the shave as well.

Now there is nothing that says you cannot shave directly off of the hones, and if it works for you that is great. For me the strop is as important as the hone or the lather. Enjoy the shave.

Originally Posted by glytch5

I think its essential too, but I know for example over at ThePerfectEdge, they just finish on the 30k. Im pretty sure mr.Schecter does not strop... at all.
He finishes on the 30k and shaves, when his edge starts to fade he does a few laps on a coticule to bring the edge up. Not because the coticule is super fine, but because of what it does to the edge.

I know Howard, and like him well. I've seen his vids with Nick Shaves, and like them. I bought my Shapton GS 30k from him. I know Howard is a minimalist when it come to stropping, but I didn't think an abstainer. I'll have to call him and ask.


So, I just called Howard and chatted. His no strop process off the Shapton GS 30k is what he does for himself. He does not necessarily recommend this process for others, or as a universal practice. He did say if one were to strop, he recommend a paddle strop, not a hanging strop. Obvious reason, honing so fine with 30k, easier to roll edge. He reaffirmed his minimalist view of stropping to about 5-10 laps.