Thread: Need help with Japanese hones!

Originally Posted by Utopian

Well, I guess I'm bi-honal!

I knew ther was something different about you.

HAHA too funny!!

Starting out on synthetic and moved to natural for my straights. So I think I also fall into the Bi-Honal demegraphic

To really appreciat naturals I think you need to use both side of the house. Synthetics are like McD's, same thing everywhere you go. Naturals would fall under local regienal yummies. Both get you where you want to go, it's what road you want to take..

Good thing about natural hones: they keep their value. Synthetic hones are second hand from the moment you lay hands on them.

Originally Posted by Kees

Good thing about natural hones: they keep their value. Synthetic hones are second hand from the moment you lay hands on them.

Yep in general, you do have a point there....

Sorry, but I gotta disagree. In my mind the analogy is almost like straights versus disposables when talking about natural versus synthetic hones.

Long before anyone ever came up with the idea of embedding synthetic abrasive particulates into a synthetic suspension media, men had been using natural hones wrested from the bowels of the earth with their bare-chested brawn and brow-sweat.

They learned the ways of the earth, the ways of the stone, the vagaries of each hone, and turned metal into deadly cutting instruments.

I feel the mystique surrounding natural hones is similar to the mystique surrounding the straight. Sure, you can get a shave from a Bic, but there is just something about a straight shave. Same with the natural hones for me.

However, I do agree there is nothing wrong with synthetics at all. I own quite a few and am intending to purchase a few more. I'm just saying that for me, I will always prefer naturals.

James.

See.... I like the romanticism of natural hones. Currently I'm on the fence though... I have one of two plans. 1. Buy a cheap set of synthetics and a nice finisher, a la Glen's suggestion, then upgrade later. 2. Why not just cut to the chase and buy Shapton 1k-8k or 16k now, and never have to buy a synthetic hone again? In case 1. i will buy an escher or thuringen or aweseto. In case 2. it'll probably be the chinese 12k or 16k shapton. Thats basically why I was asking.

I think it depends partially on what you intend to do with the hones. Are you going to hone a lot? If so you might want to spring for the more expensive Shaptons and be done with it. If not, then you could start with the cheaper synthetics and maybe upgrade them later, keeping in mind that you most likely can recoup a significant portion of the cost of the original ones in the the classifieds.

Thats what I was thinking. I don't really need to hone a lot. Just touch up what others have done, but I will be doing some refurb work along the lines of one or two razors a month. Just as something on the side, nothing serious. The shaptons sound so nice though.

All the information is very confusing and sometimes contradictory. What you need is a supplier you trust to find the hone you need.

I got mine from So Yama****a who used to be one of the very few selling them. With the increased interest in Nakayamas a few more guys are selling them. Apparently there's no written information as it used to be a couple of small family businesses that ran the mines and selling their stones. Knowledge was passed on from father to son.

I don't speak Japanese, but still have tried cruising 330mate's site to glean what I can. It appears there is a lot of info there and often the translations make little sense (one I got was: Ardently the clouding catfish inside iris sect five 郎 system ) because grammar and referents are all lost.

I have put in some time trying to figure out which stones might make good hones for western style straight razors. It's kind of interesting.

330mate, I see you have added some graphics for HGAL ratings. I like that but the numbers that go along with the graphics would be helpful as well. I presume that is just on the stones most recently added.

If someone found a specific hone on your site and emailed you, you would be able to tell us if that stone would be suitable for our razors, correct?

I would think (and others here can correct me) we would be most interested in hones that have very high hardness, grit and abrasiveness.

(mods feel free to tell me if I am getting too close to being commercial here)