Thread: HAD in full swing

Ok so business has been doing well for me lately and I've been having good success with honing so HAD is the disease of the week for me right now . I want to try new synthetic and natural stones to see what I like and works for me . The suehiro 20k is what has my eye . So my question is the ones on the bay or the big river store are they reputable ? Or can someone tell me the best place to look for one ?
Also I really wish there was a razor meet down my way I would do anything to get one of those hands on tutorials like glen gave speedster on YouTube .
Thanks in advance for the help .

But, but...getting tutored by Glen might save you from falling into HAD in the first place. In all seriousness, his sage advice really helped to keep my HAD tendencies in check.

What synthetics do you currently use? I went from the Norton to Super Stones (excellent feel and very consistent results) and was more than pleased with the Naniwa SS 12k finish as well as Escher. Only recently have I tried the SG20k, so I'm still evaluating its performance.

As to sources, I prefer picking up stones here on B/S/T (like my b/g Escher and 20k), but I did manage a good deal on an SR Droescher blue Thuringian last year. My Super Stones (now Specialty Stones) were from SRD, but I have seen good deals on Amazon lately. Other than the Droescher and SG20k, my stones were purchased 6 years ago (thanks, Glen!).

Hope some of this helps. Meeting up with a honing mentor and/or attending local meet-ups definitely helps speed up the learning process.

A 20k and an escher? Damn!

The price on Amazon seems steep to me. I won mine on Ebay six months ago.
If I was shopping for one I would go to toolsfromjapan.com. As long as you use a cc that doesnt charge foreign transaction fees it seems you can pick one for 266USD including shipping.
Unfortunately the gok20 doesnt show up much on BST here.

Well so far I have a 1,3,5,8,12 k super stone set . I got a few cheapo razor to practice then I did some of my nicer razors and I've done good with the supers I also bought a coticle from TSS and I really like that shave it's real comfortable ,a little like the Escher edge Glen did for me so I know I don't need all these hones but I also don't need three humidor of cigars or 30 guns or seven ham radios but I enjoy collecting the stuff that makes me happy and hones are that right now

Originally Posted by alex1921

The price on Amazon seems steep to me. I won mine on Ebay six months ago.
If I was shopping for one I would go to toolsfromjapan.com. As long as you use a cc that doesnt charge foreign transaction fees it seems you can pick one for 266USD including shipping.
Unfortunately the gok20 doesnt show up much on BST here.

Are the ones on eBay legit ?

Originally Posted by Legday69

Are the ones on eBay legit ?

The stone I won on Ebay came with everything, box, rubbing stone etc. So yes legit. Also it does work
Buying used from Ebay there is always some risk that you will run into a scammer. I would be hesitant going for one that has no box etc.

My honest experience with HAD is I bought a lot of hones in a short period of time and have never learned how to use most of them. They were all so attractive and I wanted to try everything. Flash forward, I have a couple of hones that I use very well and the rest sit in a box. There is quite a bit of cash piled in that box.

Originally Posted by RezDog

My honest experience with HAD is I bought a lot of hones in a short period of time and have never learned how to use most of them. They were all so attractive and I wanted to try everything. Flash forward, I have a couple of hones that I use very well and the rest sit in a box. There is quite a bit of cash piled in that box.

Same here, I've had everything one time or another. I've settled on a VERY fine Chinese natural river stone that is legit 12k+ and a Panama barber hone also 12k+ as my main finishers and a King "Ice Bear" 1k and a Norton 4k/8k combo for 90% of the pre-finishing work

I purchased my SG20k from Ken Schwartz. He is VERY reputable in sharpening circles and is also very knowledgeable. I don't know if he is the cheapest but he definitely is honest and a wealth of information.

As far as the stone goes, I absolutely love it! The SG20K stopped the HAD at it's infancy... Hallelujah!!