Thread: Cheap chinese hones, to buy or not to buy ?

I am new to honing and to learn I have bought two chinese hones from around 15$.
One 1k/4k and one 8k stone. Is it possible to get a decent edge from these stones, or isn't it worth to keep trying.
I can get an edge that shaves after a lot of stropping with red compound, but I do get a lot of irritaion...

There's a lot that could be going wrong here. We'd need to know what brand of hone you bought to start with. It could be a problem with the hones, it could be that your honing technique needs work, it could be that you're stropping on a compound. The compound itself might not be good for straights, or if you lift/roll the razor you can wreck an edge with a quickness. And even faster on a buffing compound. Most folks use Chromium Oxide or a diamond paste, not a red paste.

You also mention ' a lot of stropping' on the red compound. Most folks who use a paste are doing 10 or fewer strokes. Too much work on a good paste will make an edge uncomfortable and quick, even if your technique is right.

My first suggestion - drop the paste from the progression. A good 8K stone should give you an edge you can shave comfortably with using nothing but linen and leather. I can't stress that enough. Once you've achieved that then you can start working with the paste. But until you can get a shaving edge off an 8K stone there's no point in going further.

As to the hones themselves...there's a reason we recommend Norton/Naniwa/Shapton hones. Cheaper ones are going to have less QC, and are more likely to have errant large grit particulate or poor binder quality . This may be acceptable for knives, but the tolerances for a straight razor are much tighter if you want a comfortable shave.

I haven't been able to get a good read on cheap Chinese hones. I've had solid luck with their natural hones, but I haven't taken a gamble on their synthetics and I suspect I'm not the only one.

Grit ratings are not consistent among synthetic stone vendors and grit ratings assigned to natural stones are just a guess. While it is possible to get a decent edge off some of the better 8K stones, I do not know if your Chinese 8K is capable of doing so. If you paid only $15 for the stones, either they are quite small (making it harder to get a consistent edge heal to toe), or they are inconsistent in quality, perhaps both.

Since you are new to honing, remember that some of the problem could be your honing technique. Watch several of the honing videos by the honemeisters and experiment until you find what works for you. Pickup a few inexpensive razors, either vintage blades or something like a Gold Dollar 208 and practice honing until you can shave with them. It is best not to practice on an expensive razor.

I know that hones can be expensive, but do your research on the forums and then purchase the "best" stones you can afford, whether they are synthetic or natural.

Post pics of your razor and the stones. Find a local mentor, honing and stropping is not as easy as videos make it seem.

These are the stones:
1k/4k: https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/Sharp...608.0.0.y4FkFn
8k: https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/EWS-T...683369313.html

they are both 18cm*6cm.

I'm going to continue practicing till I can shave right after the 8k, canvas and leather strop. I have bought 5 SR's for 50€ so I have enough to practice on.
I think the pressure I use for the moment is the biggest thing I'm not doing right at the moment. Also I have the feeling the edge is sharper after the 4k then te 8k..

Have not tried those particular stones, but stones similar to those are genarallly too soft for razors.

There is a lot that goes into the making of a quality of a stone not just the grit size.

Post photos of your razors.

And Yes, pressure especially with a soft stone is an issue.

Ok, so you have some nice razors in good condition. Do take the time to learn to hone them properly. Find a local mentor.

If not, go slow and at least use a layer of electrical tape on the spine to protect it. Do you have some good magnification, 40 -60 X.

Look at the edges, if they are not chipped start on the 4k stone, after lapping all the stones. Read the first 3 post in the honing forum.

Ok, thank you very much. I have bought a cheap 60x LED microscope (yeah, chinese as well), but I didn't see much of a difference when going from one stone to another.
I will keep practicing with the razor from the first picture.
I have shearched for a mentor but not found yet..

Are you using tape?