Thread: New Final stone

12k as suggested is a good top end unless you decide to venture off into a natural finisher

Has anyone tried the 13K Sigma Power Select stone?

Lee Valley sells them. They seem to get very good ratings from the woodworking world. Just wondering if they are good for straight razors.

Sigma Power Select II Ceramic Water Stones - Lee Valley Tools

I have not touched mine in years. It was in the category of "meh." It gave no particular impression. I do recall that I felt that it was too chalky and autoslurried more than I liked. I'll have to pull it out and give it another try.

I did not buy mine from Lee Valley. I don't buy anything from Lee Valley anymore. I ordered a tapping guide from them and they sent me a drilling guide instead. They would not take a return because I had removed it from a plastic sleeve and discarded that sleeve before I discovered their mistake. They said no return without the sleeve. Then my credit card company charged me for an international transaction because Lee valley mistakenly routed the purchase through their Canadian version. They admitted it was a mistake on their part but wouldn't reimburse me for that either. The only purpose that drilling guide serves in my shop is to remind me to never again buy anything from Lee Valley.

The Naniwa 12k is better and costs less. Don't think that the 1k extra makes the Power Select better--though I do love Spinal Tap!

I de a 12k Naniwa Super Stone for finishing and it works great. I bevel set with Naniwa 1 K then go to either a 3K or 5k then an 8k then finish with a 12 K then a fabric strop with Crx then 50 laps on the leather

Originally Posted by Utopian

I have not touched mine in years. It was in the category of "meh." It gave no particular impression. I do recall that I felt that it was too chalky and autoslurried more than I liked. I'll have to pull it out and give it another try.

I did not buy mine from Lee Valley. I don't buy anything from Lee Valley anymore. I ordered a tapping guide from them and they sent me a drilling guide instead. They would not take a return because I had removed it from a plastic sleeve and discarded that sleeve before I discovered their mistake. They said no return without the sleeve. Then my credit card company charged me for an international transaction because Lee valley mistakenly routed the purchase through their Canadian version. They admitted it was a mistake on their part but wouldn't reimburse me for that either. The only purpose that drilling guide serves in my shop is to remind me to never again buy anything from Lee Valley.

The Naniwa 12k is better and costs less. Don't think that the 1k extra makes the Power Select better--though I do love Spinal Tap!

EXCELLENT Spinal Tap reference!!!

I have a full set of Naniwa Sharpening Stones, the "new" superstones. I used to finish on the 12K, but never quite liked the shave. The edge was keen, but not smooth enough for my sensitive face. I now stop with the Naniwa 10K and then finish on natural stones. The disadvantage of natural stones is that they are not as consistent as the synthetic hones, so there is more of a learning curve.

Your shaving preference will depend upon the toughness/coarseness of your beard and the sensitivity of your face. Good luck in finding the perfect hone and technique that will work for you.

I have found the Naniwa 12k will often produce a rough shave after too many laps, like any synthetic. I find that over 25 laps is too much in most instances.
As has been said, some CroOx will tone it down.
I cut my laps down to 20 on it and then go with Blue-green Escher.
Makes a really smooth shaver, IMO.

For that reason, I rarely do more than 10-15 laps on the Naniwa 12k. Despite its high grit it is a fast cutter.