Thread: Naniwa Super Stones

Hey guys, Just wondering if the Naniwas SS were worth buying in the 10mm thickness instead of the 20mm. This would allow me to buy a few more grits to get going. I realize they wont last as long but if I keep waiting until I can afford all large ones I don't know when I'll do it. I think I would get the 1K in 20mm then the 3,5,8K in 10mm. I think this is doable for less than $200 to my door. I appreciate any feedback.

Thanks, Jeff

If you only hone for yourself I would think the 10mm would last plenty long. If you intend to hone commercially the 20 would probably be the best bet. Razors don't eat much stone if honed properly. Knives or tools might wear on a waterstone but razors not so much. IMHO.

I've been using my Naniwa 1K 10mm for 2 years now and I can see it being used for another 10-20 years. It really got abused in the beginning and so far it may have lost 1mm. My recommendation, get it and get more grits. Who knows, maybe you'll want to try something different, like I'm thinking about the Shapton 2K and the Cretan natural to replace the SS 1K... so you see why it may last for another 20 years

Hi Jeff,

I had issues with my SP 8k not staying flat due to water absorption. Pretty easily fixed but if I had to by the stone again I would get the 20mm as people report less of this problem.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...blization.html

The lower grit hones are used a lot more and so will wear faster, so they are the only ones you would be likely to ever replace, unless you are doing pro honing. For that reason, yes, the 1k would be the best bet for the thicker option.

Now, as far as selection of hones go, Lynn has often said that both progressions of 1,3, and 8k, and 1,5, and 8k are viable options. He is of the opinion that you do not need both.

IF you do want a 4 hone progression from 1k to 8k, my preference is skipping the 3k and replacing it with the 2k hone. That means that I am recommending a 1, 2, 5, 8k progression. Even the grit of the 2k hone is half the size of the 1k hone and so I feel better about using a hone that is better capable of removing the 1k scratches.

Thanks a bunch. I will be honing for only myself at the moment and maybe a few buddies so I think I will get the 10's. I will stay semi-pro if you will. I will continue to finish on my ILR for now. Seems to give me decent results.

Thanks.

Another thought for you to consider.

I love the Naniwa SuperStones, but I do not love the 1k for bevel setting. It loads up with swarf faster than I'd like. For that reason, I only use the SS 1k to "condition" the blade in preparation for running up the rest of the SS series. I doubt if that is needed but it makes me feel better. I never use the SS 1k actually to set the bevel because I have several better options available for me to use. You would be much better off with the Naniwa Chosera (now Pro) 1k as a bevel setter and then do the rest on the SuperStones. If you do not like the price of the Chosera 1k, another great option at nearly half the price is the Arashiyama 1k.

Originally Posted by Utopian

Another thought for you to consider.

You would be much better off with the Naniwa Chosera (now Pro) 1k as a bevel setter and then do the rest on the SuperStones. If you do not like the price of the Chosera 1k, another great option at nearly half the price is the Arashiyama 1k.

I was going to suggest the Chosera 1k rather than the superstone. IME it is really worth the extra cost. If I was going to buy a set of hones knowing what I know now, having used most of the 'usual suspects', I would go for the Chosera 1k, single grit Norton 4k, single grit Norton 8k, naniwa superstone 12k, and if I was really going to gild the lilly, the gokomyo 20k.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I was going to suggest the Chosera 1k rather than the superstone. IME it is really worth the extra cost. If I was going to buy a set of hones knowing what I know now, having used most of the 'usual suspects', I would go for the Chosera 1k, single grit Norton 4k, single grit Norton 8k, naniwa superstone 12k, and if I was really going to gild the lilly, the gokomyo 20k.

Though I tend to want to use as small of jumps between grits as possible, and I confess that I actually never have tried it, I strongly suspect that the cutting capacity of the Gokumyo 20k could handle a jump from the Norton 8k. This would allow skipping the SS12k. Now the SS12k is a great hone and produces a very good edge so it is a perfectly viable final finishing hone, but if someone ultimately plans on getting the 20k then I'm not sure that they need to bother with the SS12k.

Originally Posted by Utopian

Though I tend to want to use as small of jumps between grits as possible, and I confess that I actually never have tried it, I strongly suspect that the cutting capacity of the Gokumyo 20k could handle a jump from the Norton 8k. This would allow skipping the SS12k. Now the SS12k is a great hone and produces a very good edge so it is a perfectly viable final finishing hone, but if someone ultimately plans on getting the 20k then I'm not sure that they need to bother with the SS12k.

I don't know that it is carved in stone, (no pun) but I recall reading an interview with Harellson Stanley, the Shapton USA rep, who said that the glasstones were set up to double the grit size with each step through the series. So 1-2-4-8-16. The 30k shapton was double the 15k pro. At the time the only series that was similar was the norton 4/8 so it seemed to make sense. Not sure whether it is anything more than a guideline, if it is even that.

But along the lines of your post, I've gone from 8k to Escher, or a fine coticule , a lot of times, and it worked well for me.