Thread: New hones beginner learning

I'm looking around for hones to learn and begin with also, I am not going to collect or anything like that. I want to buy a set that I can use for razors just a few razors only have and maybe knives would the naniwa work? I was looking at the set of 220,1,3,8,12 dmt 325 for lapping, for 360 or specialty for 300 is it something that I have to replenish every few years does it last decades/years what's the consensus.



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You really don't need the 220 unless you intend to use it for knives. It can be used for razors but it would only be for repair work so you'd be better off spending the money on an upgrade to the Pro 1k.

I'm not sure about your 360 vs 300 options, which I assume are dollars.

As a hobbyist, your hones will last decades.

The 220 is of no value for razors. The Naniwa Chosera or professional line are very good hones. Naniwa has two thicknesses of hones. I have a few different ones. I have come to like that my 1K is on a stand, I am not fond of the stand it is on, perhaps I will make something more appealing later. The 10K I have is the thin one, I believe it is 1cm thick, and I prefer the 2cm thick. You can hone forever with those hones. The average person is not going to wear out a set of hones. Although I do have some fairly thin Nortons these days. They are however quite old and started their lives honing flat chisels and plane irons a very long time ago.

Originally Posted by Utopian

You really don't need the 220 unless you intend to use it for knives. It can be used for razors but it would only be for repair work so you'd be better off spending the money on an upgrade to the Pro 1k.

I'm not sure about your 360 vs 300 options, which I assume are dollars.

As a hobbyist, your hones will last decades.

Yeah will have the 220 for knives. The money difference is super stones vs specialty stones. My main question though is how long do the stones last.


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Originally Posted by RezDog

The 220 is of no value for razors. The Naniwa Chosera or professional line are very good hones. Naniwa has two thicknesses of hones. I have a few different ones. I have come to like that my 1K is on a stand, I am not fond of the stand it is on, perhaps I will make something more appealing later. The 10K I have is the thin one, I believe it is 1cm thick, and I prefer the 2cm thick. You can hone forever with those hones. The average person is not going to wear out a set of hones. Although I do have some fairly thin Nortons these days. They are however quite old and started their lives honing flat chisels and plane irons a very long time ago.

So it's more of a lifetime thing?


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I speak from experience when I say, unless you're doing something you shouldn't be a synthetic water hone should last a good long while. I wore out the 4k side of my first Norton combination stone in under a year lapping it down the drain. Most folks are more careful than me, and will likely have their hones for years, like Rezdog. I'm trying to be kinder to the stones I bought to replace that combination hone.

How long they'll last will depend entirely on you. How well you care for them, and how often you use them.

If I had my time over, I'd probably change very little. BUT, when I began honing, I wouldn't have believed my own eyes looking at what I have today. Many like me out there. I see a good starting point. If you want to learn, you need to know what a sharp razor looks, feels and shaves like' That way you have a 'waypoint' Get your 1st one, done by a pro. Then buy a hone that'll be able to maintain your new razor. I found the Naniwa Superstone 8k a good hone to keep the one razor going for a long time. Then, you can read on this forum your endless range of possibilities as far as 'progressions', Razors and all other things, but right now, a Naniwa 8k won't cost much, and it will be a quality stone, for many years to come.

For a few razors that would be a lifetime purchase. Most wear will be on the 1k setting bevels and for knives which wouldn't really need to go beyond 1k and your finishing stone which will see the most use in maintaining razors and even then lapping will probably waste more of the finisher than honing.

Do upgrade on the 1k as if you are only going to purchase once you want to do it right. My 1k is the only one to show any significant wear and my razors are usually from the bay so need lots of edge work to set bevels.

If you are just maintaining a few razors, the Specialty Stones will be just fine and will last multiple lifetimes.

You will not wear out the 1k, unless you do become a serious collector or do pro honing. Once you set a bevel, the razor will never need another bevel reset unless you damage it.

The Naniwa Specialty Stones are fine stone and what you are intending is a fine progression.

The King 1K - 6K hone is a good one for me. An 8K Norton & I use a 10 K Chinese hone that works well for me then get a good strop. I have a vintage Koken Barbers imported shell horse hide strop with a linen strop attached that is a great strop. If you have no experience with honing razors try & fine someone close to teach you or watch the videos by Lynn & the other Pro honers we have here. I also have a nice 1 1/4" X 6" Coti I got real cheap at a flea market that I have been going to after the 6K king & that is working well also. You don't have to spend an arm & leg to get nice stones.

Slawman