Basic Touch-Up setup - Please validate my choices!

So I am at the point where I have been using pasted leather/balsa, etc. to touch up my razors, and a couple of them are at the point where they need just a little bit more. Rather than sending out a blade that really is 95% of the way there, I thought I would try my hand at doing a refresh at home on the 12k as Lynn shows often in his honing videos. Apart from the fact that I will probably ruin my first one (I have just the razor to try this out with), is the below the appropriate "starter kit" for both lapping and touching up? I gathered these part#s from numerous threads, I just want to make sure I am ordering the right stuff. Lastly, I am sure I will have to lap before my first touch up...but are there any other pitfalls I should be aware of? Thanks in advance...I am looking forward to doing a little maintenance myself!
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I've had my Naniwa 12k since Dec. and love it. I would buy it again in a second.

That's the generally recommended stuff and what I have. The one piece of advice I'd give you is to bookmark Lynn's videos on this and other honing topics. I am new at honing and/or touching up and find it very helpful to re-watch them as well as Glen's (Gssixgun) just before going to the stones. Somehow it isn't quite as easy as it looks on video (at least for me). I think one thing to note is that you need to catch an edge and refresh it either on paste/sprays or the 12k before you lose the bevel or the edge gets too out of whack in some other way. A lighted loupe on other lens of moderate strength (30-40x) is something I'd add if you don't have one. They're on Amazon for less than $5.

As a last thought, be sure to break in the DMT when you get it before using it to lap you 12k. The way to do that is to run the shaft of a screwdriver or the back of a straight kitchen knife up and down the DMT to knock down any high diamond particles that may be sticking up and scratch your 12k.

Thanks for the quick reply! I am pretty good about not letting the edges lapse which is good, so I really am looking just to refresh at this point. I am sure not to far down the road I will expand a bit...but for now this should be sufficient. I am also sure that NOTHING is as easy as Lynn makes it look...lol.

Be aware that the Naniwa stones swell a little from absorbing water. So if you use the stone and then use the stone again later that same day, you will notice the center is higher when you lap it. If you lap it flat that way, then let it dry completely it will show a dish. It's not a big deal if you know to expect it.

??? You're not supposed to soak them, just spray them. I never heard of them swelling before.

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Originally Posted by bluesman7

Be aware that the Naniwa stones swell a little from absorbing water. So if you use the stone and then use the stone again later that same day, you will notice the center is higher when you lap it. If you lap it flat that way, then let it dry completely it will show a dish. It's not a big deal if you know to expect it.

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Originally Posted by Haroldg48

??? You're not supposed to soak them, just spray them. I never heard of them swelling before.

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I don't soak them. Just spray and go. They still absorb water while you hone. Don't believe me? Lap your stone 5 or 6 hours after use and you will see that the center is swollen

I will have to check that. I lap my 3k before every use anyway though.

They do swell that is the reason you see Gssixgun soak them for 5-10 mins before use in his youtube videos. He actually mentioned it in 1 vid.

I too lap before every honing.

The Specialty Stones are ment to be used for "Spray & Go" nothing more and it works well!! And no i do not lap them after every honing, why ?

Thats just total material loss in my thinking....never experienced any bad things happen when touching up on the 10k Stone....probably this depends on the grit of the stone, to lap earlier or later...

Gamma did a review here for further Information:
http://www.tomonagura.com/synthetic-...tones-3k-.html

Why don't you get an high performing barber hone instead??

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Originally Posted by Frameback

Why don't you get an high performing barber hone instead??

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I am looking to purely do touch-ups and remove the bare minimum amount of metal. My understanding of barber hones is that they can be hit or miss, and given their age (no longer in production) the quality of what I get would really depend on a trustworthy seller. Buying a new, reputable high-grit stone will alleviate a few of the "what-ifs" for me so I can focus on technique.

My gear arrived last evening. I soaked the stone for about 25 minutes then marked with a pencil and lapped it under running water. I also took some metal to the lapping plate beforehand and didn't see any tangible scratching on the 12k when finished. I do see Lynn's point about the stone and plate "sticking" a bit and now have a pretty good feel for avoiding that.

I took out my "challenged" razor for a touch-up to get a feel for the process. Unfortunately that particular razor has a LOT of hone wear and doesn't seem to hone well in general, especially near the shoulder. It did get a bit better, but alas I think that one is not really in need of a touch up but rather some deeper work...so I moved on to a decent razor that needed a bit more than pasted balsa.

The TI I put on the stone seemed to really "wake up" after about 10 laps (C135 blade), so I gave it 2 more (12 total) then took it to pasted balsa and leather. What a difference! The shave was just like when the razor was fresh out of the box. I have one more razor that just needs a slight touch up at this point, so I will give that one a go and see what happens!

Granted I am not setting bevels or repairing chips...but I do think the fear of really messing something up is vastly overstated. Watching the videos, taking one's time, and really paying attention to process seem to make this relatively easy, or at least far more so than I thought going into it. Once I get this dialed in and get a bit more technique...perhaps the combo stones are next!

For touch up? A single japanese barbershop (natural) stone with tomonagura, and a vintage linen. Linen once per week, the japanese barber stone once maybe every 20-30 weeks for five minutes. that's it. A very favorable combo for keeping the razor sharp without imparting much wear on it.

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Originally Posted by DaveW

For touch up? A single japanese barbershop (natural) stone with tomonagura, and a vintage linen. Linen once per week, the japanese barber stone once maybe every 20-30 weeks for five minutes. that's it. A very favorable combo for keeping the razor sharp without imparting much wear on it.

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I think what I have now will be more than sufficient for just maintaining my fleet so to speak...but if I start picking things up on the bay or in antique stores....my skills and hardware needs may require advancement!

Yes, it'll be just fine. If you're like the rest of us, you'll probably buy more stuff in the future out of want, but not need.

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Originally Posted by DaveW

Yes, it'll be just fine. If you're like the rest of us, you'll probably buy more stuff in the future out of want, but not need.

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That seems to be my biggest problem with this hobby......

I would suggest a coticule, there are many vendors out there that can sell you one that is suitable for straight razors. The great thing about these stones is that as a beginner you can use them simply with water and light x stokes to refresh, and as you advance and wish to do more work on an edge, use slurry.