Thread: Grit to follow 8000

+1 to Glen - once you can consistently get a good edge off an 8K + paste, then you can move onto a higher grit hone and try for a smoother edge from that. If you're after a higher grit hone to move onto once you've got the 8K down, the Chinese 12K is a slow-cutting commonly used stone, available for very cheap ($20 from WoodCraft. You can buy a slurry stone for the C12K from the classifieds here if you want it to cut a bit faster, although this rounds the edge.Other options for polishing hones are the Shapton 16K/30K, the Naniwa 12K, a natural Japanese hone, or a barber hone (available for cheap on EBay, but much smaller than the C12K)

Do you think new honers will buy that? I just saw a thread where a guy bought an expensive Nakayama, and posted, How do I use this? New honers will still buy polishers/finishers. All you can do is tell them how to use them, and give recommendations, but in the end, there gonna buy em....I can't begin to tell you how many C12k Slurries I sold to new guys this year alone....If there gonna do damage on the hone, imagine what they can do with a slurry.....or 4k, 8k for that matter...

Originally Posted by mosley59

+1 to Glen - once you can consistently get a good edge off an 8K + paste, then you can move onto a higher grit hone and try for a smoother edge from that. If you're after a higher grit hone to move onto once you've got the 8K down, the Chinese 12K is a slow-cutting commonly used stone, available for very cheap ($20 from WoodCraft. You can buy a slurry stone for the C12K from the classifieds here if you want it to cut a bit faster, although this rounds the edge.Other options for polishing hones are the Shapton 16K/30K, the Naniwa 12K, a natural Japanese hone, or a barber hone (available for cheap on EBay, but much smaller than the C12K)

Where did you read/hear that a Chinese 12k with slurry rounds the edge. I heard that happens with prolonged use of paste, but not on rocks. Please explain...Thank you....

Just a quick comment on pastes, pastes refine an edge they should not "sharpen" an edge...If you are depnding on the pastes as a crutch for weak honing then I agree ditch the pastes, but if you know you can shave off the N8k without even using a plain strop, then using the paste to smooth out the edge, you are using it correctly!!!

BTW that is the true test for your honed edge, come straight off the hone with no stropping, and try a test shave see how you do....

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Just a quick comment on pastes, pastes refine an edge they should not "sharpen" an edge...If you are depnding on the pastes as a crutch for weak honing then I agree ditch the pastes, but if you know you can shave off the N8k without even using a plain strop, then using the paste to smooth out the edge, you are using it correctly!!!

BTW that is the true test for your honed edge, come straight off the hone with no stropping, and try a test shave see how you do....

Glen, What about rounding an edge on a finishing hone? I have heard about this on pastes, sprays, etc...but, did I miss something. Can you round your edge on say, a C12k...?

Originally Posted by zib

Glen, What about rounding an edge on a finishing hone? I have heard about this on pastes, sprays, etc...but, did I miss something. Can you round your edge on say, a C12k...?

I have heard people say that using slurry "dulls" the edge or "rounds" the edge... I would agree that using a slurry cuts a bevel and the sides well but is limited it how sharp the edge gets... I think you are into semantics here though with a slurry "dulling" the edge...

What sort of feedback difference is there between a razor honed up to 8k and one that has been finished/paste-stropped?

I go 1k (if needed), 4k/8k pyramid, 12k, CrO, linen, latigo. After 1k and 8k I check the edge on arm hairs, but I've never tried shaving right after the 8k. I'm not sure if you can explain it in text, but if you can describe how a smoother edge feels on my face then I'd appreciate it.

Thanks all for the advice. I'll just stick with the Nortons for now.

Some sort of paste/compound is probably your cheapest route, it does the eact same thing as a higher grit stone - removes metal. Quality chromium oxide is 0.5 micron, which can be head on a leather strop for a few bucks, while a 0.5 micron hone is quite a bit more, particularly for one that polishes at a decent speed. It's just how much you want to spend for smaller abrasive particles.

There's also lapping films in this range, economical in the short run.

Originally Posted by zib

Glen, What about rounding an edge on a finishing hone? I have heard about this on pastes, sprays, etc...but, did I miss something. Can you round your edge on say, a C12k...?

My understanding is that, when using a slurry, you are not only cutting on the bevel (which rests against the stone), but also on the edge as you run into the slurry and some is deflected above the edge and some is forced under the edge. The effects may be minimal, but at a finishing level, you'll still notice them. Some like the slight rounding, as it may cause a razor to feel "smoother" while shaving.

To answer the original poster's question, I think that after the 8k you can move to any finisher you like. I believe there is more room to jump at high grits than is typically acknowledge. For example, I go from my Dragon's Tongue (which is estimated at 6-8k) to my Asagi (and Japanese natural finishers are thought to be very high grit) and need less than 70 passes on the Asagi to finish (I'm experimenting with reduced stroke numbers to work my way down).