Seven Series Glass Stone experiences

[dinnermint]

A little while ago, there was a thread about the Seven Series Glass Stones from Shapton. Many opted to go just to the highest grit stone, to get an affordable option to the pricier larger version. I decided (on Sunday) to pick up 4 stones for a full progression based on my preferences I've learned over the years.

Some might remember that I already have a 1,2,5,8 &12k progression in the Naniwa SS line. Why buy another progression? Firstly, my father is working on his honing and learning on my stones, so I only have natural finishing stones. Second, I have grown to dislike not hand holding my stones. Simply prefer the increased feel and the control. It is doable with the Naniwa stones, but uncomfortable for me. Plus, HAD, ya know?

So, these Seven series stones seemed to fit the bill and I decided on the 11, 6.5, 3 &1.2 micron stones. Figuring worth a shot to skip every other stone, keep the price reasonable. If I had gotten everything I wanted in the larger version (plus the holder) the cost would have been $700, this set cost me $250. The naniwas was closer to $400 for the set.

I opted against the "kit" shapton offers for a number of reasons. First, those progression jumps are ridiculous for me. I'm pretty decent at honing, but not that good. Second, I could get 4 stones and a diamond plate for near the same price. That would leave me out a stone holder, but that's moot since I want to hand hold anyways.

Since both CKTG and Sharpening Supplies are based in WI, I got them silly fast and was able to lap and refresh a test razor. They got harder to lap as I went up in grit with a 8" x 3" Fine DMT.

Overall, I had a great session last night with them. My boker took a great edge, but since I have used this razor for years, it didn't require dropping to the lowest stone (which I did anyways). The gap between the 3 and 1.2 micron may be on the large side, but some extra laps handled it well. There were some errant scratches that lead me to believe a hair more lapping required on the 1.2 micron stone. They all were not too flat and gritty upon unboxing. Especially the 11 micron, felt like it was almost covered in sand.

Next step is to take a new to me ebay special that needs some chip removal and a full bevel set, see how these do with that.



TL;DR: I really like this series, very economical and efficient.