Thread: Bevel setter upgrade

Originally Posted by IMightBeWrong

Interesting. Since I end on a 12K what about going 1-5-12? Or is this too much? I’m not sure where to find the conversions.

Welcome IMightBeWrong!

I try to roughly double the grit ratings at each step. My normal bevel setter is a Shapton Pro 2k and I follow it with a 5k and 8k Pro, then finish on a jnat, but you could go from 5k to 12 without problems I think, maybe a few extra strokes.

Cheers, Steve

Thanks Steve! I think a 5K is the best next move. Worst case scenario I can add the 2 and 8 later. Splitting up the set makes things easier to pocket, though.

Originally Posted by IMightBeWrong

Interesting. Since I end on a 12K what about going 1-5-12? Or is this too much? I’m not sure where to find the conversions.

That'll be a good progression. I had an identical progression for tools for a good part of a decade.

Spend a little extra time on the 5 and 12k and the gaps will be a cinch, and remember the 15 minute soak if you want them to be a little softer feeling and faster.

Originally Posted by IMightBeWrong

Interesting. Since I end on a 12K what about going 1-5-12? Or is this too much? I’m not sure where to find the conversions.

My progression with Shapton Kuromakus is 1/2/5/12. 1 to 5 is a bit of a jump, it can be done but it really helps to have something following up the 1K to bridge that gap. But going from 5k to 12k isn't bad at all.

You guys aren’t making it easy for me to decide lol I have changed my amazon cart like 5 times. I will probably end up with the whole darn line at this rate but I can’t even afford one more of them right now since I only just got the 1K.

I like my Shapton Pro 1K also. Faster than my King for sure. I am looking to go to a 2 K Shapton Pro then a 5 K & 10 K. I have a 16K Glass that I love plus a Coticule. Some razors I will do the 16K then go 6 or 8 laps on the Coti under running water. Don't have to go to the Coti in all cases but some razors it just smooths the shave a little.

Slawman

Chosera and Naniwa 1k are fantastic bevel setters. So is the Shapton, I hear. I can’t believe that someone hasn’t mentioned diamond plates yet. A DMT1200 is a fast and fantastic bevel setter that never requires lapping or soaking.

A DMT1200, 4K, 8k, finisher progression is fast and will get the job done quite wel.

I guess I have just never had a good diamond plate to try. That said I haven't found any razors for what I want to spend that need a bevel set. I have the Shapton & King 1K hones. Looking back I kind of wish I had got a Shapton Pro 2K instead of the 1K. But that said I plan on starting to forge my own razors & knives soon & the 1k. is going to be a hone I need. It is all about having choices & knowing which choices to use in a given situation. I have a couple of blades I think I will practice setting bevels on.

Slawman

Originally Posted by jkatzman

I use the Naniwa 1k traditional. It was recommended by Lynn Abrams. Does a first rate job. I then go to my Naniwa 5k, 8k, 12k and then 7-10 laps on my Escher and lastly to my Mastro Livi Chromium oxide and skin on the loom strop. I find my best results come honing under running water. I have used JNats but find I get very good results with the Naniwa's and it is faster then the JNat progression.

I purchased one at the start of the summer, precisely because of Lynn's recommendation and his companion YouTube video. It's been nothing short of successful.

Ditto the running water! This is one thirsty stone. After first soaking for half-an-hour, lapping, and half-a-dozen back-and-forth "X" strokes, it looked to be dry as a bone; spritzed some water on it then tried again -- no change; back in the Tupperware for another half-hour, then another try, only to see no slaking of its thirst; so... (as you wrote) I realized that bevel-setting was going to be done under running water, and moved the operation into the kitchen sink. Problem solved!

Speaking of "X" strokes, something that is, for me, a "negative" about the Naniwa Traditional 1K (as well as their Super Stone and Professional offerings) is its width -- it's only 70mm (2.76"), rather than "normal" 80mm (3.15"). I know... "suck it up, JB"

My progression continues from the Naniwa Traditional 1K -> Norton 4K -> Norton 8K -> Spyderco 306UF and thence to a Tony Miller 3" Red Latigo strop.

Unless you are pro-honing or doing a lot of restoration work, where you must set new bevels each time, If you are just maintaining a handful of razors, once bevel set, you may never need to fully set them again on a 1k.

Yes, some stones are a bit harder, softer, slower, faster, need more water or less, but they all will set a bevel within a few seconds of each other, and 1k grit will leave 1k stria. And you can set a bevel on anything from 600 to 4k easily, even a 12k.

I have use most of the 1k stones available and own several of them. One of my favorites is the least expensive, the King 1k. I have 3, picking them up at flea markets for a couple bucks. It is soft-er, likes a lot of water and needs flattening more than some. But I soak my stones in a tub, and lap them before use anyway, so its faults are a non- issue for me. I use the King, Nubatama, Chosera, and Norton 1k depending on my mood. They all work the same and I doubt anyone could tell the difference by looking at the completed bevels.

The bottom line is, if it takes a few more laps or a couple more squirts of water, spend your money on a finisher, synthetic or natural, now that can make a big difference and keep you shaving very well for the rest of your life. Any 1k will set a bevel, seconds after you set the bevel, those bevel faces will be removed by the next stone in the progression, so how much does the quality of the 1k stone really matter?

Don’t over think this, learn to recognize when a bevel is fully set, not how much water or how many laps it takes to get there.