Thread: Shapton 16k, mixed grit??

That is the nice thing about the Shapton hones. Harrelson said they use the JIS scale, but they put the micron size right on the hone. He said he believes Shapton is the only company to do that, and it certainly is a helpful feature.

My impression from both conversations is that they have no basis even to speculate about the claimed grit range described by that Dictum site.

This is my own speculation, not that of the people I spoke with today...
IF the claim by Dictum were true, then we would see 6k scratch patterns from that "mixed grit 16k hone." Since we don't, the 16k hones that WE are using are NOT mixed grit. Bottom line for me is that I would not buy a Shapton GlassStone from Dictum. Then again, I was not planning on it anyway.

Originally Posted by Utopian

IF the claim by Dictum were true, then we would see 6k scratch patterns from that "mixed grit 16k hone." Since we don't, the 16k hones that WE are using are NOT mixed grit.

That's along the lines of what I was thinking. Mixed grit of 6,000 and 20,000 does not a 16K hone make. I'm not even sure that would average out to be 10K with all the errant 6K stria that would be scattered around.

Maybe slightly but a stones composition plays a big part in it's characteristics e.g. The Spyderco UF hone is made up of 2k or bigger particles yet it acts like a finishing hone. Because it is a baked ceramic it does not release particles readily like water stones. The surface finish on that type of hone plays a bigger part in its action that the grit size.

Yeah it's not as simple as it sounds really. A lot of different characteristics can be brought out by manipulating the grit mix too. A combination of multiple grits can even make for a much higher density of cutting particles - the smaller ones fill in the dead space between the bigger ones. Of course this isn't always what's wanted either so there's a lot of experimentation to get these characteristics sorted and achieving the desired end result.

The stones with very hard binders and barely friable abrasive are very dependent on surface prep for their finishing characteristics. The stones that are bound softer or that have easily friable abrasive really it doesn't matter how you prep/surface them because they'll just shed any dulled particles and go right back to their default natural surface roughness pretty quickly.

My 16k adds scratches after the 10k. Below you will find some low quality photos taken using Photo Booth and a cheap USB scope, hope they are sufficient.

The straight is a Jerry Stark D2. The first two photos are after the 10k, the second two after the 16k. The shave was very nice with zero irritation.

That doesn't look good. I just finished a big heavy 7/8 Joseph Rodgers quarter hollow on my 16k Shapton Glass and all it did was polish. There's no sign of the microchips that some report from over doing it on this stone, nor of the nasty looking gouges seen in your pictures. It's hard to know what's going on there but something gritty has definitely made its mark.

More proof that the Shapton 16k is not just a 16k stone.

I dont know how to include the youtube link from the app. Drmatt reviewed the stones and it showed very coarse scratches.

This Canadian seller of Shapton hones doesn't recommend the 16K for razors.

https://www.paulsfinest.com/collecti...ne-16-000-grit

Having both a 12K Naniwa and a 16K Shapton I can see why it would have been better to go with the 20K Shapton.

Bob

I have been a huge fan of the Shapton glass stones for quite some time and I will say that it is the most precise system available on the market...but not that many honers can get the best of them. They are very fast and you can easily overhone on 16k, the stones have excellent feedback. My personal favorite is a progression from 2,4,8,16k followed by thuringian. A very sharp, but smooth edge.

Originally Posted by ScottGoodman

I have been a huge fan of the Shapton glass stones for quite some time and I will say that it is the most precise system available on the market...but not that many honers can get the best of them. They are very fast and you can easily overhone on 16k, the stones have excellent feedback. My personal favorite is a progression from 2,4,8,16k followed by thuringian. A very sharp, but smooth edge.

Me too Scott,

If you are a ‘Glass’ fan and haven’t tried the G7 series, I would encourage you to do so. They are not smaller versions of the HR according to Sharpening Supplies. And they’re 7mm thick vs 5mm.