Thread: Question from a new guy about hones and which to buy ?

So here it is, I have read the forums and watched videos for weeks. My razor is a month old and still shaves great so i don't need any hones yet but the time will come. Do you buy the norton 4k/8k in the kit or would you be better off buying the naniwa 5 stone kit. If it's like riding motorcycles and someone ask what helmet to buy i always ask them what is your melon worth? So the answer is buy what you can afford. I assume the same applies to hones as well. The other factor is do you buy a thousand dollar rifle and put a cheap ten dollar scope on it. So maybe i have answered my own question but any responses would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

It depends on how you intend you use them and your razors.

How many razors and in what condition? Do you want to hone old razors or only ones that where bought new and initially shave ready? If the former, then you need a progression of hones. If the latter then you can get by just fine with only one, such as the Naniwa Pro (formerly SuperStone) 12k.

For what it costs to buy a full set of hones you can get a lot of pro honing jobs. Unless you are planning on doing restores there is no economics to buying hones. You could get one really nice finisher for maintenance or one really good barbers hone for the same purpose and maintain your edges forever. If you are the kind of person that is going to have seven to twelve razors and that is it, stick with the pros. If you are planning to have more razors or want to know and be able to be self sufficient, the story changes. In such an event you should start with synthetics and then get into naturals later, Chosera, Naniwa and Norton all get results that are readily duplicated and there are a ton of users here that can help you on your journey. A typical set up would be 1K, 4K, 8K and perhaps a 12K or 20K or natural finisher. It is probably better to be good at shaving first then learn to refresh and then a full hone from bevel set up. We all have our own paths to walk.

I basically followed the advice of the members here.

While there is no rule that you can't learn to hone and shave at the same time, it is recommended you learn how to shave proficiently with a straight razor first. Learn what a shave ready edge feels like, and learn through experience the ability to tell when it's beginning to need refreshing. Along with learning to shave first, is the fundamental requirement to learn proper stropping skills - without that - it's all moot.

For me, after learning that I could "refresh" my razor using some crox, I did that.

Then I knew that I could purchase a finishing stone, like the Naniwa 12k, and with that alone, I could basically keep my razors shaving forever, as long as the bevels were intact. Many stop at that point, unless you plan on honing lots of razors, from setting the bevel up to finishing, it's a big investment. For me, it was part of the hobby so I wanted to learn, but only for that reason.

So I'd recommend learning to shave with a straight first, establish good stropping skills, learn to bring back the edge with paste, and then invest in a finishing stone to refresh your razors. At that point, you can decide if you want to take the plunge.

Hope this helps.

If I were just planning to have the stones needed to keep razors in shape I would get a 12k Naniwa and a Norton 4/8 combo. You could sub the 12 for a 10k or PHIG (Chinese 12k)

+1 to all the great replies above as each are true in their own rite.
I have the same set up for stones now as rezdog describes because I like to restore old razors found at antique markets and on eBay..the grit range he describes covers every razor I've tried to sharpen.
I started into this hobby around the same time as Phrank and decided to learn both shaving, and honing at the same time, but on different blades. Leaving the honing of the shave razors to the pros, saved my skin and gave me edges to compare my own attempts against as I learned. Learning to hone on cheaper blades allowed me to develop those skills without ruining better steel in my ignorance and with my heavy hand on the tang..
Getting to any meet ups in your area for some hands on with mentors in your area will really help your dexterity and hand finesse. I personally recommend this early on before you self learn potentially bad habits.
Anyway, that's my 0.02$ worth. Enjoy the experience whichever paths you take.
Cheers.

I have questions along these lines as well... Would it be smart to begin with pasted strop and then progress to a stone? I am considering making my own paddle strop and pasting both sides. Should I paste the rough side or the smooth side? ... or can I use one side rough and one side smooth and what compound should be used with either surface? Thanks in advance.

Originally Posted by Utopian

such as the Naniwa Pro (formerly SuperStone) 12k.

Just to clarify, the new Naniwa 12k is the SP or Specialty Stone (formerly Super Stone). The Pro is the new name for the Chosera line.

I have both brands, and a few others as well…

It really does not matter, they both work equally well. I Doubt that using them once will make much difference in helping you decide, they will deliver the same results, but won’t hurt.

Whichever you choose, take the time to learn them, these stones are capable of much more performance, that most demand.

A 4/8 stone or equivalent is/are all you will need for a long time.

I currently have three razors one brand new bought from SRD it shaves very smooth. Then I bought one from ebay which is at home I am currently away at the time. My bud who got me into straight razor shaving who is with me has a norton 4k/8k and a 12k polishing stone. My wife sent me a cheap razor from pakistan that is what i currently am using to try my honing skills that in itself maybe a mistake but I got it to shave but it does not shave like my Ralf Aust. But i did get it to shave it from what i have read these razors are not worth shaving with anyway. Two golden men. To tell the truth with the time i have on my hands its relaxing trying to get the razor to shave.