Thread: The 1K hone

Well after finally finding all my shave equipment I have come to the fact that I am still trying to figure out what is the best 1K hone. As I know the 1K is the true workhorse of the bunch. I have had a chance to use alot of hones and I guess my question is does it really matter what brand you use. The chosera seems to be the reference standard but does the price justify it. Yes I have used it, I have also used and owned a norton 1K and a naniwa superstone 1K, and I have used a shapton 1K, and a king 1K. Since this hone is used as a bevel setter I have this question for you all. Is there a true difference in what these hones do at the 1K level or is this just one of those thing that your mileage may very. I do understand that scratch patterns maybe different, but if you polish everything out with a 4k, 8k, and 12k will the 1k really matter. Please tell me what you think, thanks again.

Originally Posted by jballs918

Well after finally finding all my shave equipment I have come to the fact that I am still trying to figure out what is the best 1K hone. As I know the 1K is the true workhorse of the bunch. I have had a chance to use alot of hones and I guess my question is does it really matter what brand you use. The chosera seems to be the reference standard but does the price justify it. Yes I have used it, I have also used and owned a norton 1K and a naniwa superstone 1K, and I have used a shapton 1K, and a king 1K. Since this hone is used as a bevel setter I have this question for you all. Is there a true difference in what these hones do at the 1K level or is this just one of those thing that your mileage may very. I do understand that scratch patterns maybe different, but if you polish everything out with a 4k, 8k, and 12k will the 1k really matter. Please tell me what you think, thanks again.

It depends on what you are going to use it for. If you are going to hone hundreds of razors then it might make a difference. Some work faster and with less prep work. If you are going to hone your own 5 or 6 razors and they aren't wedges with messed up edges then it doesn't really matter all that much.

After you hone them once you probably won't be going back to the 1k anymore.

I also do restore work, but some of that maybe on a 220 or even a 1k. But for that I have found that my 220/1k norton works well for that.

It's all about speed.
The scratch pattern & how often the stone needs lapping is all about how fast you can finish the job.
A deep scratch pattern eg DMT or Shapton Pro may see you spend more time on the mid stones so not always faster. Stones with a lot of abrasive vs binder can work fast without deep scratch patterns eg Chocera 1k.
Restore 3 wedges on a 1k King & you will do a lot of flattening vs honing

Jason, I think I loaned you an Arashiyama 1k at one point. I consider that to be another good 1k--way better than the Norton 1k.

Does the 1k matter? Yes. I consider everything in the bevel setting range to be the most critical part of the honing. That's where you create the edge.

If you only are honing only a few razors, just a barber hone is sufficient. If you are considering a full set of hones, then the Naniwa Chosera (now professional) hone is worth the investment.

Chosera 1K used with the 600 grit is very fast for restoration work, and the 1K is great for regular bevel setting. It’s quite a bit faster than the Norton without deep scratch patterns.

you do Ron, i forgot about that one also. as you said the 1k is the most important stage but will the stone carry on while you progress

The good ones do two things. They cut the bevels fast AND leave shallow scratches. The latter allows for faster and better cutting moving up the higher grits.

Another good option at half the price of the Chosera 1k is the Naniwa Traditional 1k.

I do dig my Nani Traditional 1k

I've tried a number of "bevel-setting" synth stones and keep coming back to the traditional Suehiro 1k/3k combo. The reason is that, while soft, swarf as built up on the surface of the hone during use is easily removed by a brush of the finger, delaying lapping until it's really needed, to flatten. Between the 1k and the 3k, the scratch pattern is also quite advanced, the 3k in particular leaving scratches that could be mistaken for a higher mid-range hone. Feed-back is sandy and consistent; it's extremely rare to dig in once you've got the feel for things; and the price is right. Sets things up nicely for a run with naturals afterwards.