Thread: Finishing stones

Originally Posted by Swigzell

I am using the shapton professional stones and just wanting to know what you would recommend after finishing with the 12k?

At 10K or 12k any improvement depends on technique more than the grit of the hone.
The shapton hones are FAST. Use a light hand and not too many strokes.

Some hones want 25-60 strokes.
Shapton... shave test after five hone strokes and a calm smooth visit to the strop.

It all depends on what kind of shave you prefer...edge wise. The sinthetics provide a sharp and relatively smooth edge if your technique is right. They have the advantage of delivering consistent results on most steels and beeing relatively easy to master.

I would recomend if you began on the sinthetic path go all the way up to a suehiro 20k. It is worth it in the long time...

The natural hone game is another story.
To begin with they have variations in quality and performance.
Most people that own naturals usualy keep what they like best or what fits their honing skills and sell the rest. This is why you always find a wide array of natural hones for sale.(How many used suehiro 20k hones or Chosere you find for sale?...or Shapton for that matter

There are gems out there but you have to know what to look for.
And once you get one you have to learn to use it...and that's a little bit harder then...''i did 20 passes but the edge is not there yet so i'll do 20 more''

The trip down the rabbit hone(hole) has cost me thousonds of$$$ and in the end I kept a chosera line up to 5k...a kuromaku line up to 8k...2jnats...3coticules...an escher...and a suehiro 20k...and I stopped here because I could no longer feel the need for improvement...

That is if you dont go to the cbn sprays and poli diamond strops...

In the end it all depends on where you want to go and how much you mean to inveest in the process.

This game is adictive and you have to be aware that some of us are just chasing the pink dragon

12 k is perfectly fine to stop and strop.
If you are realy curious...make a habit of sending one razor to a renowned hone guy that can finish it on various stones...send the same razor every time...to the same guy...so you have a clear point of reference...sending diffrent razors to diffrent honers may be misleeding as steel and skill play an important role in the outcome.

You may end up spending more this way then on a quaily hone...but you will spend 2-4times a year a small amount.

Originally Posted by ovidiucotiga

It all depends on what kind of shave you prefer...edge wise. The sinthetics provide a sharp and relatively smooth edge if your technique is right. They have the advantage of delivering consistent results on most steels and beeing relatively easy to master.

I would recomend if you began on the sinthetic path go all the way up to a suehiro 20k. It is worth it in the long time...

The natural hone game is another story.
To begin with they have variations in quality and performance.
Most people that own naturals usualy keep what they like best or what fits their honing skills and sell the rest. This is why you always find a wide array of natural hones for sale.(How many used suehiro 20k hones or Chosere you find for sale?...or Shapton for that matter

There are gems out there but you have to know what to look for.
And once you get one you have to learn to use it...and that's a little bit harder then...''i did 20 passes but the edge is not there yet so i'll do 20 more''

The trip down the rabbit hone(hole) has cost me thousonds of$$$ and in the end I kept a chosera line up to 5k...a kuromaku line up to 8k...2jnats...3coticules...an escher...and a suehiro 20k...and I stopped here because I could no longer feel the need for improvement...

That is if you dont go to the cbn sprays and poli diamond strops...

In the end it all depends on where you want to go and how much you mean to inveest in the process.

This game is adictive and you have to be aware that some of us are just chasing the pink dragon

12 k is perfectly fine to stop and strop.
If you are realy curious...make a habit of sending one razor to a renowned hone guy that can finish it on various stones...send the same razor every time...to the same guy...so you have a clear point of reference...sending diffrent razors to diffrent honers may be misleeding as steel and skill play an important role in the outcome.

You may end up spending more this way then on a quaily hone...but you will spend 2-4times a year a small amount.

I like every part of this, well said !!

Mate, I'd say chill out on your 12 k for a good six months, and be able to repeat your results before buying say a Suehiro Gokumyo 20k and even longer before trying to work out naturals. I'm about 150k's north of Oz and am in Sydney a fair bit, one day we could catch up and have a chat about these things. Bob.

Originally Posted by bobski

Mate, I'd say chill out on your 12 k for a good six months, and be able to repeat your results before buying say a Suehiro Gokumyo 20k and even longer before trying to work out naturals. I'm about 150k's north of Oz and am in Sydney a fair bit, one day we could catch up and have a chat about these things. Bob.

Hey bob. Yeah that sounds good. Would be great.


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I go to my Escher for about 5-10 laps under running water. I find it gives me an edge that gives a smoother shave. I then go to my Mastro Livi loom strop and use the chromium oxide side then the skin side. That gives a fantastic shave. The Livi loom strop is my go to when I need a touch up.

Originally Posted by OCDshaver

Suehiro 20k. To me it's the last word on hones. I have no interest in buying anything else. And I've been hold course with this setup for at least two years now. Highly recommend it.

Darn my HAD continues to have an itch.

To the original poster "enjoy" ....

The 12K is the hone that put my razors into that love it or hate it sharp as a feather DE range
of harsh and difficult to enjoy range and other times shave like hot knife and butta.

Any hone from 8-12K qualifies as a finisher.
To gain any value from finer hones takes skill and practice not another grit size reduction.

On practice... there is a saying that "practice makes perfect" well that is
not fully true. It turns out that "perfect practice makes perfect."

Enjoy perfecting all the details..

Hone smooth and perfectly.
Strop smooth and perfectly.
Lathering-- that takes practice and perfection too!
And shaving itself... lighter touch ideal angle.
Edges from the crazy ultra fine hones are not forgiving.

I personally have not honed on anything finer than a 12k shapton, following up with a crox paddle strop. I'm sure the 16-30k stones are super but so are their prices!
Folks shaved for decades with the barber hones which are generally around 8k. Some of the best honors I'm told produce a great edge using the famous 4/8 k norton.
That said, if you learn how to use it, a 12k shapton should be more than adequate!
Just my humble opinion!
Stay Sharp!