Thread: thoughts on the Naniwa snow white 8k

Originally Posted by tintin

my problem with honing is that i have a hard time evaluating when i have removed the scratches from the previous grit. while I use the thumb pad test on the 1 and 5k (making the 1k able to shave leg hairs) the visual cue i look for on the 8k (with a 30x loupe) Is to get rid of the "glow" i can see on the apex when i hit it just right with light. This is what seems to take forever to get rid of. would that mean i am not getting the bevel completley set?

ejmolitor37 gives great advice. Another way to insure your getting your scratch patterns out prior to moving up is to alternate your angle on each hone. Let's say if starting with the 1k to set the bevel your razor is at a 90 degree angle to the hone, your next stone 3k or 5k go at a 45 degree angle and keep alternating each stone change. It's real easy to tell when you have a 90 degree scratch when your honing at 45 degrees or vice versa. That's my new to honing 2 cents.

I have been using the Original Snow White 8k for over a year now and it is a very nice stone, that leaves a nice almost stria less finish.

For years, I use a Norton 8k, until the Snow White, the (AKA IF-0001 Junpaku), there are 2 stones that some call the Snow White. If the 8k is your finish stone or you will be jumping off from the 8k to Naturals, then the Junpaku is a good investment $110.

But if going higher 12,16, 20K it does not matter how great the finish is if you wipe it out with the next stone.

You should be spending the majority, of your honing time on the bevel set and the next stone, 3, 4, or 5k to remove all the deep 1k stria. After that it should be downhill, polishing the bevels to get a super straight edge.

Set the bevel on your 1k then joint the edge and re-set the bevel with light stokes. This will reduce the height of the land of the stria and give you a much straighter, stronger edge. Try to get the edge as straight as possible on the 1k. A clean re-freshed stone, will re-cut a smoother finish bevel in a few 10-15 laps.

Here is a post with good micrographs of what a fully set bevel looks like, post 42, page 9, Photos 4 & 5 (upper right hand corner) show and edge that is close, (not fully set). Post 51, page 11, first photo, shows a fully set bevel.

(Second-try-honing)

Compare your bevels to the finished bevels in the photos at the various stones.

thanks for the advice everyone. i will try these things
i am using a SS 1,5 and 8. i am 99% sure my bevel is set correctly but i will reevaluate it again.
what would be the advantage of the chosera stonee?

I use Chosera 1k, 3k, and 5k then SP (SS) 8k and 12k. The Choseras have a nicer feel, stay flatter and possibly stay cleaner than the SS. But as far as the edges they produce there is not much difference IMO. I think that adding a 3k (Chosera or SS) will help you much more than changing to Choseras.

Or do a lot more with the 5k finishing with light pressure before moving to the 8k. I would also advise a lot of light pressure laps on the 1k before moving to the 5k.

The chosera is fast. And leaves a very shallow scratch pattern. It's also got a harder feeling than a superstone.

Saying that I was fully expecting you to say a non branded 1K stone. Because the scratch pattern a 1K superstone leaves is also pretty shallow. It just loads with swarf, and cuts a bit slower than a chosera. Not enough of a difference between the two to warrant an upgrade however because like bluesman7 has said you are missing the 3K and it sounds like you need it.

My own rotation is 1K chosera, 5,8,12K superstone, then onto the natural of the day. I also use a king 1K and can make the same 1-5K jump with that as the bevel setter. The difference is probably the time I have taken to learn that step, All of the work is done at 1K.

On a respectable edge I would expect to use the 1K without slurry, And I would be using no pressure at all. I just want to skim the faces and the edge. On a razor that needs work I will slurry up and do the work, but I always finish in the same way with those slurry free light strokes to skim on a final face. From that point on none of my stones will get slurries. Everything will be done on plain water and be using those very light face skimming stokes.

It sounds to me like you have 2 options. You get a 3K in the hopes it fixes the problems you have, Or you learn to be light and deft on the 1K. The 3K route is faster and needs less voodoo to get right. The other way will vastly improve your 1K edges, and increase the hit chance of good edges to bad in the long run. The problem been for that second route you have to be the sort of person that will sit and learn for a few hours at a time and be able to self correct.