I just wanted to share with you guys what stones I have kept around and why. Not that you'd care but I'd like to tell my story anyways.
So I started honing a week after shaving. I wouldn't recommend going ths route because it takes super long to know if you've got it and really you need shaving experience so you can tell if an edge is shave ready.
I also started with a coticule/bb instead of a recommended water stone. I also got a DMT 600/1200. I then added a Whetstone cutlery 400/1k and a Taidea 3/8K. . I didn't like those stones at all and sold them. Even my beloved little coticule.
I then picked up another 2 coticule and a bbw. I struggled with them and ended up trading them. I bought a naniwa 10k specialty stone and didn't quite enjoy it so I got rid of that also.
I then got a naniwa gouken Hayabusa 4k and Fuji 8k. Two excellent water stones but never got the hang of the whole progressive honing thing..
I then bought 3 barber hones, a DMT 8k, a black Arkansas 8x3 from Dans, another hard Ark. I ended up trading/selling them all.
I am not sure if this is the completed list but it's what I remember lacking photos of a table full of hones. I used to have pictures on my old phone but not anymore. I'm sure there were more I am forgetting..
My point is ive gone through quite a few hones... I don't recommend that either as I'm just getting to the point where I'm really learning my stones.. and there's nothing better than really knowing your stones, or so I've read on someone's signature.
As promised what I have slimmed by collection of 30+ hones down to.
I am no hone meister or expert or even good at honing. I will never claim to be. I do however hone my own and they are on par with what I've received from a few different pro's. However that is only on the blades I can hone some prove far beyond my skills.. those I send to somebody.
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So I've got 2 coticules. The coticule/bb geezer sent me. It's an excellent stone and no longer is smooth one way and gritty the other. Smooth sailing both ways. The other I got off a fellow in Sweden. It's what people call a les latenuses of an old quarry. Just an unreal finisher. Smooth as glass both sides and quite fast on the coticule side.
I've got one washita stone I quite enjoy for knives and the occasional razor. I can shave off it. I've burnished one side of the stone with an old razor so it's quite a fine stone.. could it be improved on yes.. but if I was stuck I would use it.
I've got 4 barber hones. A keen kutter kombo K20, 00 Frictionite, Three line of text swaty SRD, and a pike ezy edge. All are excellent stones to shave off of. I've had about 5 or 6 other BH but these I couldn't let go of. The double sided hones are very versatile at bringing an edge to shave ready.
What isn't pictured is my king 1k. I really like that hone too. Super slow and dishes like nobody's business..
Last but not least not pictured is my faithful lapping plate from DMT.
Hopefully my story isn't too boring. I was trying to bring about the lesson of don't go hone crazy until you've successfully learned one set of stones or stone. Jumping from stone to stone hopefully looking for the magic stone isn't a great idea it makes you more frustrated in the long run and sets your honing back time wise..
YMMV.
Hone on!