Thread: naniwa

I have full set of naniwas i have been using norton set up before hand. I no nortons are fairly quik cutters my question is is naniwa faster or slower cutter than nortons.

Hi Gary. I am new to honing but I either read or someone told me via PM the Naniwa stones are pretty fast cutting. Congrats on getting a full set, I only have the 12K Naniwa.

Originally Posted by superbleu

Hi Gary. I am new to honing but I either read or someone told me via PM the Naniwa stones are pretty fast cutting. Congrats on getting a full set, I only have the 12K Naniwa.

i have a feeling they are very fast cutters when iused them i could see metal loading up fairly quikley. when the nortons where realy on here alot there was some good recomendations on how many laps worked realy well with out over honing. Be interesting if some one with good experiance with the new naniwa could post some recomendations how best results with say the 5k/8k 5k/8k may be similar to 4k/8k but i read differant hones that have same like for like grit ratings may vary from say shaptons nortons naniwas etc. may be lynn could post on that one as he has tryed and tested these naniwas .

Right off the top of my head I think that Lynn and Utopian would be the most experienced with them. I know that both have said that they like them.

My approach to the Shapton pro 5 and 8 was to use the pyramid just as I do with the Nortons. How many pyramids (as described in the SRP wiki here) depended on the condition of the edge I was working on, the composition of the steel and whatever other variables there are in honing razors.

Whenever I finally break down and get some of my own Naniwas I will play around with them until I get to know them. That is what I have had to do with all of the stones that I have tried. I'm still figuring some of them out like the Tam '0 Shanter and the Dalmore Blue for example.

I have almost the full set: 220, 400, 1k, 3k, 5k, 8k, 10k, and 12k. I'm still working on getting the 800 and the 2k.

I really like the Naniwas. They have wonderful feedback. I think they cut faster than the Nortons, feel softer than the Nortons, and generally make me happier than the Nortons. I especially like the 1k as a bevel setter. I became enamored with the 1k the very first time I used it.

I played with 5k/8k pyramids but did not find any real benefit to it. I asked Lynn if he ever does pyramids with the Naniwas and he said he did. I didn't press him for a full explanation so I don't know how often he does it or what ratios he uses.

If you were to compare the amount of metal removal by the Naniwa 8k to the Norton 8k, you might have a better sense of why the pyramid might not be as necessary, at least in my opinion. I think it has to do with the fact that the higher grit Naniwas are still cutting so much steel. Ten strokes on the Naniwa 8k shows quite a bit of swarf on the hone. Even the 12k shows traces. They're cutting and polishing very quickly and efficiently.

Once the bevel is set at 1k, I generally do 20 to 30 strokes on the 3k, 20 to 30 on the 5k, and 10 to 15 strokes on each of the 8k, 10k, and 12k hones. I usually finish with a Japanese Asagi or Namito, or both, but the edge off of the 12k is just fine.

I'm +1n with Utopian. I too have the full set of Naniwa's and Norton's. I even have a few old Norton Oil stones. The Naniwa's are faster cutters than the Norton's. I'd say do 10 - 15 laps on the Naniwa, and test. As Ron said, you need more lapps to set the bevel, then I do 10 -15. I finish on a Nakayama, or Escher. Max uses Naniwa's almost exclusively now. He does quite a bit of resto, and has a good deal of experience with them...

Not that it would be needed for straights, but I don't see anyone with the 150 HAHA Love that brick, much better that the DMT plate for removing metal FAST, and not leaving grand canyans to grind out later.

I used Naniwa stones up to 10k and really like em, to soft I think for kitchen knives with hard steel, till you get used to em. Great for straights though

I've been eyeing these up for a while now and you guys convinced me. I'm specifically looking for a bevel cutter (just don't have the money in these chastened times to get anywhere near a full set) so am leaning towards the 1k. Would the 3k perform this function as well? I'd be going on to a fairly fast cutting coticule with slurry straight from one or the other and wonder if the jump from the 1k may be greater than I need. Basically, I can only afford one at the moment and would appreciate your recommendations.

Originally Posted by Utopian

I have almost the full set: 220, 400, 1k, 3k, 5k, 8k, 10k, and 12k. I'm still working on getting the 800 and the 2k.

I really like the Naniwas. They have wonderful feedback. I think they cut faster than the Nortons, feel softer than the Nortons, and generally make me happier than the Nortons. I especially like the 1k as a bevel setter. I became enamored with the 1k the very first time I used it.

I played with 5k/8k pyramids but did not find any real benefit to it. I asked Lynn if he ever does pyramids with the Naniwas and he said he did. I didn't press him for a full explanation so I don't know how often he does it or what ratios he uses.

If you were to compare the amount of metal removal by the Naniwa 8k to the Norton 8k, you might have a better sense of why the pyramid might not be as necessary, at least in my opinion. I think it has to do with the fact that the higher grit Naniwas are still cutting so much steel. Ten strokes on the Naniwa 8k shows quite a bit of swarf on the hone. Even the 12k shows traces. They're cutting and polishing very quickly and efficiently.

Once the bevel is set at 1k, I generally do 20 to 30 strokes on the 3k, 20 to 30 on the 5k, and 10 to 15 strokes on each of the 8k, 10k, and 12k hones. I usually finish with a Japanese Asagi or Namito, or both, but the edge off of the 12k is just fine.

I was realy impressed with the 1k it does'nt feel coarse when in use does'nt soak up water and to my surprismant it realy cuts a bevel quiker than 1k norton and i'd say as good as 1200dmt or even quiker exallant bevel setter as for the rest 3k etc i 'm sure like you all say these hones are decieveing and cut fast but feel smooth like there not doing any thing but i can see metal particules apear with in a thew laps i'm getting to like them my self now i was thinking could i use coti after 12k or even my bbw slurry then coti water after 12k as i did after my 8k norton and it worked realy well adding that finess and natural smoothness?

Originally Posted by AlanII

I've been eyeing these up for a while now and you guys convinced me. I'm specifically looking for a bevel cutter (just don't have the money in these chastened times to get anywhere near a full set) so am leaning towards the 1k. Would the 3k perform this function as well? I'd be going on to a fairly fast cutting coticule with slurry straight from one or the other and wonder if the jump from the 1k may be greater than I need. Basically, I can only afford one at the moment and would appreciate your recommendations.

I think the 1k would set the bevel faster, but the 3k is a noticable step up from the 1k. So it would take a bit longer to set the bevel but would clean up faster if your jumping straight to the coti.

I think the 3k Shapton GS is alot smoother on the edge than the 4k norton. I never really liked the 4k norton and never really use it, just the 8k side