Thread: Naniwa SS or Naniwa chosera* or Shapton glass or Shapton pro?

For those seasoned veterans of the honing professional world, which synthetic progression would you say is your dominant go to choice if you could only use one system to handle most razor steel types out there? Which grits in that progression and maybe why if you have the time or just list them as bullet points if you want? Thank you

Commenting to follow this thread. will be interesting to me to see if there is any sort of consensus on the topic.

I know that this won't be very helpful, but I'm sorry to say that it is just like choice of the day's razor or soap. That is, for the most part, I go by mood. I don't find any particular advantage of one progression over another for any particular steel type.

I have, and use, three of the four named progressions. I don't have a full set of Shapton Pros, but I have used them. I really liked the lower end of the series and so I have them; but I got too inconsistent of results with the full series. I had to go back and re-do too many edges when I used the Pros.

For the other three sets, I have all the grits except for the GlassStone 30k, but that is about to be corrected. I prefer to keep the progression jumps as small as possible. Most say that you don't need to do that and in principle I agree with them.

I have the Norton series and Shapton Kuromaku (Japanese version of Pro stones) 1, 2, 5, and 12K stones.

I find myself using the Norton stones more often than the Shapton. I prefer natural finishers, and in my eyes there's almost no point in going up to 12K, then tuning it back down to around 8 to 10K with a natural rock. So typically I'll use the 1-4-8 Norton progression, then move on to my finisher of choice.

Beyond that I'm about where Utopian is on the matter. All depends on what I feel like using, either set gets me to the same place when all's said and done. Just depends on how I feel like getting there.

I have been using the following set up for several years with consistent success:
1k Chosera
5k Shapton Pro
8k Shapton Pro
10k Super Stone

I chose the set up that way based on how I liked the feel of the available stones at each level.
In the end you may have to try the options and see what works best for you. All the stones from the lines mentioned can get the job done nicely.

I went from the Nortons to the Naniwa Super Stones for the reason of not having to soak the stones. Just the easy of use. Those are all I've used so far. My set is the 1K Chosera (the green brick) (chosen because this is what I found most serious honers like the most at the 1K stage), 2K, 5K, 8K, 10k and 12K Sharpening Stones. I find that the 2K works well when you need just a bit more but dont want to go all the way back to the 1K. And the 10K really dont get used as its a very small step from 8K to 12K.

I know this dont help much as I'm still new to honing. Well, I think I will always say I'm new to honing until I can hone everything I own. But at this time I'm batting 70%. Getting better.

Good luck in your quest. I think you will find out you will go thru a few different brands before you figure what you like. It might end up that you find you like the 1K in one brand and a 3 to 8K of another name then a 12 thru 30 in another. It takes time and you just got to try them!

Or just go with one stone that will do it all. Ha. Its possible. At least that is what I've read.

For what you asked ??? Not what I use or like but what you asked

Naniwa SS 1-3-8-12 you can expand that also if you want but you don't "Need" to

This is what I have been recommending for years now, it is almost a foolproof system for the most types of Razors and Steels

I use exclusively same as Gssixgun's since 2012. I've added a Suehiro 20k and a couple of jnats, but that old Naniwa progression video, is still compulsory viewing for anyone starting out.

Originally Posted by dshaves

For those seasoned veterans of the honing professional world, which synthetic progression would you say is your dominant go to choice if you could only use one system to handle most razor steel types out there? Which grits in that progression and maybe why if you have the time or just list them as bullet points if you want? Thank you

Look for splash and go hones unless you plan to be in the business.

Shapton Glass hones just work. Skip the 30K. If I figure how to tame it I will share.

Naniwa especially the newer ones seem to be the best bang for the buck.
The Naniwa 12K gives a darn fine shave after an 8K hone. It pairs with a Norton 4k/8k combo nicely. <-- these three
In the finer than 8K grits it gets very hard to find winners and loosers. I find my technique to be more of a factor than
the grit of the hone at 8K and finer.

Odd ball hones to hunt on sale.
Naniwa snow white 8k is fun.
Naniwa green brick at 2K is amazing and soft.

Try to stick with one vendor... grit jumps are difficult.

I've had a few different synthetic progressions and they all worked well. I sold my Shapton pros, and my Naniwa SuperStones, though I could have been fine had I kept either. These were from 1k-30k in the case of the pros, and 1k to 12k in the SuperStones.

I kept my original 8x1" single grit Norton 4 & 8ks and very glad that I did. I don't always use them, but truth be told if that was all I had I'd be fine.

I ended up getting the Chosera 1k, 3k, 5k, 8k, and 10k. They are very good but the propensity for hairline cracks is there, and my 5 & 10k both suffer from that phenomenon, though so far the effectiveness is not compromised. I think the 1k Chosera is the best bevel setter of all that I've personally tried.

I also have a Suehiro 20k and it is quite the finisher if you want to gild the lilly.

All this because of something a friend told me in 1980, "If you can't be satisfied with what you have, you'll never be satisfied with what you get." I didn't listen.