Please school me on natural hones
I have as of late figured out my Norton 4K/8K waterstone and am getting a very sharp and acceptably smooth shave from my razors. I have been looking at and considering a naniwa 12K as my next step up, but the purist in me is interested in natural stones as a finisher. many here talk about the endless varieties and there are just as many preferences. It seems that "HAD" is a real danger for me. But, I am just getting started and have several shaving related addictions to feed. As a result, I am seriously considering the natural finisher route. It seems that one can drop as much $ as desired on the various options available but I would like to purchase a GOOD stone for an affordable price. Being new at this and drowning in the endless posts about Cotti's, Jnats, Belgian Blues, Apache Strata's and Arkie's, I find myself wondering what the real difference is. What would be recommended as the next step from a Norton 8K that won't break the bank? Belgian Blues and Arkansas stones can be purchased for much less than the others but do they perform at the same level? Are the Jnats and Cotticules better or just more collectible? And then there are approximate grits.
Please help me clear this up and put me on the right track to a high quality yet affordable finisher.
Please school me on natural hones
The first start into naturals can mostly done with 2 types of stones....these are both types in my No. 3 list of natural stones ;-)
1. Coticule
2. Thuringian Stone
Both stones have their own personality and have a different character.
The Coti needs a bit more time to get into it...its like someone you meet and you have to get to know each other, to evaluate what he is and what he prefers....a very variable stone, easy usable after bevel set with a 1k up to finish, each stone has its story...
A thuri is like an old friend you already know a long long time, you know his preferences and what hes into...hes visiting you know what to talk about ;-) a very consistent and easy to use stone, very smooth shaving result, usable as a touch up stone.
Concerning the price:
If you do not have any "highs" in mind....like 10x5inch of those youll come around well with Bouts or stones in the range around 15x Xcm...costs of each could be around 60usd....
Jnats are very nice stones but actually this topic is much more complex, so i would personally skip them first when beginning with naturals...