Thread: 12K Stone Thoughts

Originally Posted by onimaru55

Thin stones are easier to snap if dropped etc. The base gives some support. Same reason 5mm Shapton GS have glass bases.

You mean that it isn’t Shapton wanting stone prices for plate glass? Lol.

Shapton Glass stones are a good system, just pricey.

Originally Posted by Steve56

You mean that it isn’t Shapton wanting stone prices for plate glass? Lol.

Shapton Glass stones are a good system, just pricey.

Same with J Nats, plus all the Naguras.

Boy am I late to this party. Lot of interesting stuff, good advice and varying opinions but all worthy. I don't have a 12K naniwa so I have no knowledge of comparison for it. My 12K Sharpton is a pretty smooth stone but you have to be careful about soaking that very much or it will craze (also it is helpful to learn to speak Japanese). Mine started to craze a little but fortunately the fissures don't really affect it. I found that a good hard ark takes the bite out of the 12k pretty well but then I don't really use it much these days. I haven't used it much since I ventured into arks. In fact I haven't used much of anything since I've ventured into arks. My water stones always dried on the edge and spent most of their time on the edge of the tub drying out thoroughly so they never went back in their boxes until I got the ark jones. I have just recuperated enough from my hand injury to start honing again so I pulled them back out just because I don't quite have enough dexterity to stay with the amount of laps needed for arks. I haven't ventured into jnats yet. My venture into arks cost me enough so far and quite frankly I got a little scared of poverty looking at jnats knowing the kind of bottomless pit you can fall into with any kind of natural stones.
I would really encourage you to learn to palm your stones, regardless of what they are. It makes you learn how to keep the stone steady and avoids putting too much pressure on the toe. Even though you think you're not leaning on the toe with your finger you still are. I look back now at razors from my collection that I haven't used for a long time and I can see them starting a frown from leaning my fingers on top of the bevel. It makes me sad to think about it. Looking back is quite a lesson though. Someone mentioned narrow stones which I have found I really like, especially if you have an uneven bevel or a warp. I have a Pike translucent slip stone which is wedge-shaped and both the fat and the narrow end are rounded. I use the wider heel of the stone to finish with sometimes because it hones such a narrow swath of the edge.It's a way to avoid all of the rocking or corner honing or stacking tape yada yada yada.

Yall crack me up. First ten all day narwina. So I pulled the trigger on that. Suddenly Shapton comes up. Like all the shapton people work days and narwina people work nights. I see how all the collection disorders start .

Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

Boy am I late to this party. Lot of interesting stuff, good advice and varying opinions but all worthy. I don't have a 12K naniwa so I have no knowledge of comparison for it. My 12K Sharpton is a pretty smooth stone but you have to be careful about soaking that very much or it will craze (also it is helpful to learn to speak Japanese). Mine started to craze a little but fortunately the fissures don't really affect it. I found that a good hard ark takes the bite out of the 12k pretty well but then I don't really use it much these days. I haven't used it much since I ventured into arks. In fact I haven't used much of anything since I've ventured into arks. My water stones always dried on the edge and spent most of their time on the edge of the tub drying out thoroughly so they never went back in their boxes until I got the ark jones. I have just recuperated enough from my hand injury to start honing again so I pulled them back out just because I don't quite have enough dexterity to stay with the amount of laps needed for arks. I haven't ventured into jnats yet. My venture into arks cost me enough so far and quite frankly I got a little scared of poverty looking at jnats knowing the kind of bottomless pit you can fall into with any kind of natural stones.
I would really encourage you to learn to palm your stones, regardless of what they are. It makes you learn how to keep the stone steady and avoids putting too much pressure on the toe. Even though you think you're not leaning on the toe with your finger you still are. I look back now at razors from my collection that I haven't used for a long time and I can see them starting a frown from leaning my fingers on top of the bevel. It makes me sad to think about it. Looking back is quite a lesson though. Someone mentioned narrow stones which I have found I really like, especially if you have an uneven bevel or a warp. I have a Pike translucent slip stone which is wedge-shaped and both the fat and the narrow end are rounded. I use the wider heel of the stone to finish with sometimes because it hones such a narrow swath of the edge.It's a way to avoid all of the rocking or corner honing or stacking tape yada yada yada.

Always trying to keep me off my toes. I'll keep an eye on my toes, but like I said, I'm not putting fingers on the blade anymore.

Glad you're healing up well enough to get back to honing again. Great news.

Aloha!

Op, no worries. If you bought a Naniwa, then good on you, sir. That's an amazing stone and you'll enjoy it (probably) for the rest of your life. I have one. I can't say enough good about it.

I also have a Jnat 12k (full size) and two 12k Jnat small barber hone sizes that I keep in a drawer in my shaving den and in my luggage for traveling so I can touch-up on the fly. These work just dandy as well, but if I had to go with one stone, I'd probably go with the Naniwa.

Like all things where you ask an "Opinion", you are going to get different suggestions from the members on what each member thins is a "better" stone. You have to choose one, and I think you have chosen wisely. So don't worry about it. Just enjoy putting that finishing egde on your razors with what you got, because you got a great stone.

Or buy both...or all.... ...I sense a case of HAD setting in. See? This is how it starts then down the rabbit hole ya go.

Aloha,

That comment was good natured fun. It was just the timing of everything that was funny to me. I'm sure it is a great stone if half of yall love it and the other half think it's fine. And, if I don't like it, there's the Movember auction next year and other recommendations here. I have no regrets.

On another note, I frequently look in the mirror and say "look at the. Teeny tiny hairs growing out my face.". One of my favorite Bill Cosby bits in your signature there.

Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

Or buy both...or all.... ...I sense a case of HAD setting in. See? This is how it starts then down the rabbit hole ya go.

It's a good thing you're funny or I'd definately hate you; you friggin enabler . "Come on, on little taste... "

Originally Posted by STF

I use my Arks in hand because they are only 6x2 but I don't hold my synths. The naniwa 12K only gets less than a dozen finishing strokes so my old towel always seems good enough although I am toying with idea of a stone holder, they have some cheap ones on Amazon so I might go that route unless someone here explains why cheap stone holders are a bad idea.

You want to be careful about using the screw style hone holders on the Naniwa SS even slight overtightening can exacerbate the warping issues especially if you let the hone dry in the holder..

I just make my own out of Cedar now, works great for both the Pro/Chosera and the 20mm SS hones, same type of little wooden bridge style holder (Dai) you see for J-Nats