Thread: Seems to be so many stones for honing!

One other option to consider instead of a barber hone, cro2, or other synthetic or natural finishers for finishing of the 8k, or for touch ups, is the Dovo red/black. The black produces a fabulous edge that is very smooth, and is a cheap option. Boker has a nice two sided paddle strop that works well with it.

Originally Posted by gadavier

One other option to consider instead of a barber hone, cro2, or other synthetic or natural finishers for finishing of the 8k, or for touch ups, is the Dovo red/black. The black produces a fabulous edge that is very smooth, and is a cheap option. Boker has a nice two sided paddle strop that works well with it.

Actually I have the red/black paste and two dedicated leather strops for each paste. I use my linen strop to setup the razor prior to hitting the red or black pasted strop.

I think the black paste is a chromium content isn't it???? I could be wrong on that however.

Yes I just watched gssixgun's video linked in a earlier post and he stated as you know if you watched it that people get all bent out of shape on whether to use or not and he states it does not matter because the bevel will be set with either technique. I see the value of it like harold stated..........I don't want to grind down my spine over time. I assume the spine has to contact the stone to be evenly performed.

I guess some would argue it is minimal but over time I can see how it would make a difference. I guess those that have 20 razors on rotation not so important. I plan on in the future getting another if not two to put in rotation but even then I am a stickler to keep things looking new.

It's a sickness of mine for sure!

I saw a video where it was stated the flattening stone when used to make sure your 4k or 8k is flat can also be used to create the slurry. Who uses this method or do you have a dedicated stone like a Nagura for this?

I'll throw whatever experience I have out there, along with what seems general concensus on SRP.
As far as tape, just do it. I'll caveat that with "in the beginning". Once you have honing down pat, you can decide whether or not to lose the tape. I say this cause when you first start out, you can destroy a spine in no time with a low grit stone.
As for the stones themselves, assuming you want to go from bevel set to finish, you're hear Norton 4/8 and Naniwa progression over and over, cause there is widespread success and knowledge of them. There are countless ways to get the job done using other stones/methods, but you'll find less (consistant) help.
The goal is to continue honing and not be frustrated to the point of quitting, thus the recommendation for synthetics.
As for the Nagura, a stone like the DMT course can be used to lap your synthetics and also used as a slurry generator. You'll need one to flatten (or sandpaper), so you'll be able to slurry with it too, if so desired.

Your best bet is to attend a meet up somewhere near you if possible and see all of the options other guys are using. Get some input and maybe some hands on. It is cheaper to learn from someone else's experience than to learn on your own. This site is great for learning, no doubt, but what you will learn face to face is priceless.

Basics - 1K, 4-8K combo
Finishing stone - anything above the 8K

You have to practice and learn how the stones perform. It'll be frustrating at first and you'll dull your razor and want to quit, but just follow the advise of the members here at SRP and practice. Stick with the name brand synthetic stones and find a good finishing stone and practice.

Big Greg

If you want to see how quickly you can put honewear on a razor grab a cheapy (something sacrificial like a gold dollar) and see how quickly you can wear down the spine on a 1k stone, this experement showed me the value of tape.

If it's a gold dollar it is going to need a lot of tape.

I will say a one on one is the best way. Now bevel setting strokes are the same as finishing strokes. So if you get a 1k or even a 600 to start, you can learn to set a bevel. So when you move up the progression, you jist do the same strokes that you did to set a bevel and refine the edge at a higher level. Controlling pressure is the key. You cant set a bevel with weight of the razor strokes quickly, unless you were almost there already. Heavy pressure is counter productive. So this is what you will learn when you have at it. And tape for a gold dollar? Nah. Dont need it imo.