Thread: Buying a hone for refreshing

I can feel that my razor needs a refresh, so I'm considering buying this (mino Sharp Slipsten #1000/8000 inkl. MC462 - minoShap - Global - RoyalDesign.se) and was hoping for opinions. Sorry that it's in Swedish, but the manufacturer is "mino Sharp", and it's a 1k/8k stone.

Is this a reputable manufacturer? Are those stones too rough for refreshing a blade?

Thanks!

I'm no expert, but 1k is unnecessary for touching up, that's more a hone for bevel setting; so I wouldn't use that for touching up a razor, otherwise you'll have to progress your entire way up to higher grits.

8K is alright but probably more a polishing stone rather than a finisher, many would prefer a higher grit hone to touch up razors and shave off of, like a 10K or a 12K

I'm into natural stones, but they're unique and there's a lot of variable factors with these hones

The Naniwas Superstones have been getting a lot of praise around here.
A Naniwa 12K would be a good choice for touching up razors, unless when your razor is pretty dulled and you might have to drop down to an 8K followed by a 10K or 12K

I touch up with a Naniwa 12k. It's great.

For general refreshing any reliable finisher will do the trick. Way back in the day I think there were a lot of thuringians used as well as the other fine slates.

Have never heard of that stone, it is a bit pricy.

I would go with at least a 12k, You can’t go wrong with a 12k Super Stone for half the price.

Thanks to all.

I'll have a look for a 12k Naniwa.

I'm certainly very new to honing but my Naniwa's have made learning pretty easy.

The 12k has always refreshed a blade very easily for me and with great results.

The mino Sharp Slipsten looks like it would be useful for both "refreshing" and "bevel setting" a razor. Therefore it would be a better value than a single-grit stone. Also, it is available in Sweden, which is convenient and perhaps less costly to ship. If I were you I would favor getting the mino Sharp over the Naniwa, which is no doubt a fine stone but also somewhat of a fad on SRP.

Wow that is expensive for a combination stone. Then again Swedish prices would likely knock most people's socks off.

The one down side of a 1K/8K combo stone is that you would still be missing an in between grit hone. You'd be a long time on the 8K to get rid of the striations left by the 1K hone. Generally people have a 3K or 5K hone in a progression between the 1K and 8K.

The Naniwa stones are just fine and most people use them because they are proven and readily available in our market. The Mino Sharp Slipsen may be a fine hone too but it is just that it is not as readily available in our market and few if any have used it for SR honing so it is a bit of an unknown quantity for anyone to actually recommend.

Good luck in your search for a finisher hone and yes I like my Naniwa 12K for finishing.

Bob

If what you want is to just refresh then the 12K naniwa would be my choice but there are those who would pick the Barbers pocket hone the Swaty. The 12K naniwa puts a really nice finishing touch to a already sharp razor and in my line up of hones. before I acquired the 12K I had a swaty and to just freshen up a sharp blade it did well. just my thoughts on the subject.