Thread: UK Supplier

Hope its OK to ask this question but can anyone point me in the direction of a supplier if quality honing stones?

'The Invisible Edge' sell a wide range of the Naniwa speciality stones, that might be a good place to start.

For coticule Gary Haywood. Or Direct to Ardennes Coticule.

The Straight Razor Specialist - Razor Sharpening, Honing, Whetstones and Strops. Razor Sharpening UK, Razor Honing UK, Razor Sharpening Nottingham, Razor Honing Nottingham

http://www.ardennes-coticule.be/en

For Naniwa you can go to the invisible edge, or to knives and tools who are based on the continent but in the EU so no taxes. There can be a big difference in price between the 2.

Naniwa whetstones - Become a Japanese master | knivesandtools.co.uk

https://www.theinvisibleedge.co.uk/27-hones

Norton is really expensive over here we pay 1:1 dollar conversions or even higher. Making them silly money.

Personally I'd go with knives and tools and pick up one of the naniwa sets if you don't have any stones. The 1, 5, 10 set is good value. £138

Package deal Naniwa Specialty whetstones, grid 1000 / 5000 / 10000 | knivesandtools.co.uk

Failing that you can also mix and match by buying seperates.

The pro1K then a 5, 8, 12K in the superstone set is a really nice rotation if you have no stones at all. Not cheap, but bullet proof £222.

Naniwa Professional Stone, P310, grit: 1000 | knivesandtools.co.uk
Naniwa Specialty Stone, SP-450, grit: 5000 | knivesandtools.co.uk
Naniwa Specialty Stone, SP-480, grit: 8000 | knivesandtools.co.uk
Naniwa Specialty Stone, SP-491, grit: 12000 | knivesandtools.co.uk

For chrome oxide powder i use humbrol av0005 weathering powder. It's pigment grade pure chrome oxide.

http://www.tesco.com/direct/humbrol-...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

Strops and bits Invisible Edge. They have a decent <£20 strop.

https://www.theinvisibleedge.co.uk/s...ing-strop.html

And if you are planning on using paste they have a Linen + leather strop for <£30.

https://www.theinvisibleedge.co.uk/s...ing-strop.html

Invisible Edge strop pastes are a little on the steep side price wise hence the Humbrol Pigment, You can mix the pigment with a little light oil and use that paste instead of a pre mixed one.


Back on stones I read your other thread and saw what stones you already have. If you are wanting to do things on the cheap you can pick up just the 8K super stone. And continue to use the cheap stones you have. You can shave from the 8K naniwa without a problem, and if you do a final finish with chrome oxide it should give good irritation free shaves. It's not an ideal setup but it is cheaper than replacing everything. When you compare your cheap 8K to the Naniwa you will instantly see the difference in the finish. It will be worlds apart. And when you want to expand the naniwa range you have the 8K and it will fit directly into a 1, 5, 8, 12K lineup.

http://www.knivesandtools.co.uk/en/p...one-sp-480.htm


If you want a cheap stone flattening system then Wilko do a granite worktop saver for £10. Use it with some fine grade wet and dry paper like 1200 grit and you should be golden.

http://www.wilko.com/chopping-boards...r/invt/0262890

http://www.screwfix.com/p/titan-wet-...ck-of-10/98101

Wow thanks for the links guys lots to choose from!

Eden whetstone is the cheapest I,ve seen for naniwas.

Do you have a link please?

Eden re-branded to knives and tools. Same shop and prices.

I went out and bought a granite slab and flatterned my current stones and managed to get a descent edge on my razor. I'm saving up for an 8k as suggested above or I might go for a single coticule and go down that route

Coticule is one of the harder naturals to use. Simply for the fact they have so much variation. My own rock is slow as hell but leaves a fantastic edge, Others with exactly the same layer have had to send them back because they just couldn't get them to play nice.

If you go this route you have the 2 links I would personally use already. Both links will sort you out with good rocks if you ask nice.

I would advise getting a 8K synthetic finisher first. The naniwa will do everything you need. Then once you learn that and get great edges from it decide if you want to go with more polish on the synthetic route for a crisper shave, or down the coticule route for a smooth shave.

For the time been I'd advise reading up about the coticule, and do a few forum searches for the problems people have had with them. Also watch a few video's on how we use them. The method for using them is very different to synthetics. A slurry is built then the razor is honed on that slurry as you dilute it off, And with that dilution the stone looses cutting power in favour of polish. It's more a felt thing than something that can be explained. And without knowing where sharp is and how you want the razor dialled in you will be working blind.

If you live in spitting distance of Coventry feel free to PM me and arrange to meet up. I don't drive, but I have a kettle, and a decent sized box of rocks.

If coticule, direct from Ardennes. Synthetics I would order from Germany, significantly cheaper when I've searched, Dictum, Dieter Schmid fine tools or similar