Thread: Poor newbie's hone set

One option that nobody shared with you is the CNAT. The problem is that there is more variability on those than, say, a True Hard Arkansas from Dan's.

So you need to choose if you optimize for cost or simplicity.
The simple option is the synthetic 12k stone or a good condition barber hone. If you want to optimize for cost, the lapping film or CNAT goes in that direction.

In my case, I've been optimizing for cost, and I can honestly say that I don't have enough time, so that is something that drags me down.
Now if you have plenty of time, you may even end up enjoying the process of lapping and burnishing a natural stone.

As for the strop, I heard good things about the Ruitertassen strop on Fendrihan. I have a bench strop from ClassicEdge you can try too.

Also, as I mentioned in PM, it is a good idea to discuss your questions with other SR members. And there is a meetup in Montreal this weekend

Another option I've seen bandied about to create slurry is those small 1"x4" translucent Arkies. Hard as Arkies are, I can see them working fairly well to dig up some mud.

Originally Posted by malaverdiere

One option that nobody shared with you is the CNAT. The problem is that there is more variability on those than, say, a True Hard Arkansas from Dan's.

Second page. It was discussed, and the variation from stone to stone is precisely why they're not strongly recommended. I've seen people sift through 2 or 3 before finding a good one and at that point they'd have been better off spending money on another stone. $90 on the Cnat lotto, $60 for a Shapton Kuromaku, or $90 on one Naniwa 12K...It's one thing if you just want a good Cnat and you're willing to gamble until you win. It's another thing if you just want a good finishing stone, those can be had without the hassle (and potentially at less cost).

If I was going to get a phig, I'd stick with versions that come in a woodwell tools box - I doubt they're all good, but the odds seem a little better.

The woodwell box looks like this in the background: Woodwell Woodworking Tools Manufacturing Ltd.

Originally Posted by DaveW

If I was going to get a phig, I'd stick with versions that come in a woodwell tools box - I doubt they're all good, but the odds seem a little better.

The woodwell box looks like this in the background: Woodwell Woodworking Tools Manufacturing Ltd.

That box is identical to the ones sold by Woodcraft.

Originally Posted by Utopian

That box is identical to the ones sold by Woodcraft.

Yes. Either they buy directly from woodwell, or they have an agent who does. Japan woodworker (one of their sub-companies now after it sold out to them) also sells mujingfang (woodwell) planes. I have never had anything from woodwell that really caused me problems, but I don't have enough of the cnats to make a definite claim.

In 5 cnats, two were from woodwell, both of those excellent. The other three were from various places, one was too soft to be anything other than nagura, a second had a fault across the middle and was a bit coarse but able to finish a razor, and the third was reasonably good. None as good as the woodwell versions.

Woodcraft has a really high cost structure with franchised local stores, and their prices are terrible (I am a woodworker and was before shaving, and always had trouble getting anything at their stores because of the prices, even though I wanted to support them when they were here as a local franchise). I had some back and forth with them and they gave me the first of those two cnats (the woodwells) because they wanted me to give some feedback on the stone. I didn't know enough about it at the time except to know that it was very slow as a woodworking stone and if you slurried it, it was no 12000 with a heavy slurry on it. I sold it, and finally last year bought another woodwell boxed stone directly from alibaba. All things considered, though, it's one of the things that woodcraft has that the price really isn't *that* bad, but you still have to pay shipping unless they have an event. Our franchise went out, and another one popped up here much later, but I don't know where it is. I'm kind of into making my own tools at this point, so there's not much for me there.

aaaaaaaaaaaanyway, good stones, and I learned after using an arkansas that the stuff about folks doing 400 laps on them is not necessary if you just learn to use some pressure to do most of the initial finish work and then finish up with light pressure. They cut so slowly that it really hardly matters which direction you're moving the razor once you get to clear water.

Well guys, as predicted.. Buyer's remorse hit me hard this morning. I lapped my Nani with 1500 (it was fairly flat to begin with) which made it smoother than a tile. A honed my razor on it and while not optimal, it was the best shave I got from it.

But with all the cheaper suggestions, notably lapping film, I can't justify owning such an expensive piece of equipment with the small budget that I have. I don't shave every day and still enjoy my DE's and shavette.

I put it up for sale on Kijiji (Canadian classifieds site), would have put it here but for some reason there is a price for doing so..

Will be putting the ol' Boker aside until my wallet can recover and I thank you all for the suggestions. Have a nice day!

Lapping film is OK, but it is finicky compared to a good stone. One of the places you lose money with razor stuff is buying and selling, unless you buy right, and it takes a long time to learn to do that. For sure. The combination of shipping, local buyers who want you to do them favors and commissions or fees (ebay, paypal, the vendor cost on this site, etc) all erode your budget.

I've got films down to a third of a micron, but when it comes down to it, they are a temporary substitute for a stone (to me). There is some sort of intellectually stimulating dimension that is missing from them, and they are harsh to use, not tolerant at all of a less than perfect application job and...well, just sort of second rate (though they can certainly make a first rate plus edge).

I wish I could sit with every beginner with a 6x2 combination stone from dan's. You could spend the same amount again on a properly selected vintage strop and linen and never need anything other than possibly some chrome ox for substandard razors that won't take a good edge off of a natural stone and some electrical tape (for the same reason - it is otherwise unnecessary just like the chrome ox). the process is not elegant per se like the ASMR type honing that is popular (the tomonagura guy loves to show that kind of stuff), but it gets the job done as well as a jnat and is no nonsense.

Right on. Buying, regretting and selling is typical me. I've done it many times and probably will do again. I can't help it!

Originally Posted by Barbu

Right on. Buying, regretting and selling is typical me. I've done it many times and probably will do again. I can't help it!

I would recommend you ask the mods for a lifetime ban from SRP. Straight razor shaving has a lot of acquisition disorders that are expensive enough without frequent buyer's remorses. SRP is full of enablers