Thread: Grit to follow 8000

I just picked up the 220/1000, 4000/8000, lap and stand set from Amazon. I'm wondering, many of the guys on here will use a 12k or 16k after the 8k. How much does this really help? Can anyone recommend a good, reasonably priced polishing (I believe that's the term for the 12k and 16k stones) hone?

I follow with 10k Super Stone, might be possible to do 12k instead of 10k.

Any of the Finishing stones will work,,, My advice to new honers though is don't go above that N8k until you are very happy with the shave you get off that stone... Try just using it and maybe a CrOx strop until you master that set, then and only then, add more...

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Any of the Finishing stones will work,,, My advice to new honers though is don't go above that N8k until you are very happy with the shave you get off that stone... Try just using it and maybe a CrOx strop until you master that set, then and only then, add more...

Hi Glen,

Why do you say that? I'm not in any way disagreeing with you, I'm just curious as to the logic behind the statement..!

Thanks!

Stuart

because an 8k + Paste is totally enough. If you can´t get a good edge of an 8k with paste, you are not ready to go for a super-sensitive high grit finisher.
If the edge isn´t perfect at 8k level, things will only get worse
ond post 8k levels.
The higher the grit, the more sensitive to your honing skills the stone will be

Originally Posted by Lesslemming

because an 8k + Paste is totally enough. If you can´t get a good edge of an 8k with paste, you are not ready to go for a super-sensitive high grit finisher.
If the edge isn´t perfect at 8k level, things will only get worse
ond post 8k levels.
The higher the grit, the more sensitive to your honing skills the stone will be

Fair enough!

I just waded in with a 1/4/8/16k set of Shaptons...! Nothing like diving in the deep end!

Originally Posted by aragornelessar86

I just picked up the 220/1000, 4000/8000, lap and stand set from Amazon. I'm wondering, many of the guys on here will use a 12k or 16k after the 8k. How much does this really help? Can anyone recommend a good, reasonably priced polishing (I believe that's the term for the 12k and 16k stones) hone?

I have one of the Chinese water stones (roughly 12000K), but I don't use it very much. I generally go directly to the strop from my Norton 8K.

When I started out I had the Norton 4/8 and pretty soon a Shapton pro 15k. I would go right on to the 15k because it was there. Randydance told me that I should shave off of the 8k (after stropping) because if it wasn't sharp off of the 8k it was spinning my wheels to go up the grit ladder.

Now I tried straight razors and honing back in the 1980s and gave it up because I couldn't get 'em sharp or keep them that way. Thanks to Lynn Abrams and the fine folks on this forum I learned how to hone a razor. So part of my personal obsession has been to see just how sharp I can get them off of the rock and the strop.

I have the pastes and sprays and I use them once in a great while but not often. I am still interested in seeing what I can do with various rocks alone. I'm not knocking the pastes or the higher grit stones but lately in spite of having a 30k Shapton pro for instance I shave off of the 8 or sometimes the 12k Naniwa or an Escher. I move on to another razor and start anew rather than moving up further in grit. All of the above is subject to change as the mood strikes me.

A lot of guys end up getting the Chinese 12k. It's inexpensive, and a slow polisher.
100 lapps is the norm. You can get one at woodcraft for 20 bucks. Another thing, a finisher/polisher can also be used on a razor that's just starting to pull/grab, much like a Barber hone, which is 12k, I believe. Many times, I've refreshed an edge on my Nakayama, or Escher. It works like a charm. No need to go to the lower grits unless you really, really have to...So, if you can't find a Barber's hone, another finisher will work for you....

I with you Jimmy, I hardly ever use pastes anymore. However, Lynn's .5 diamond spray on the hard wool felt is a must have. It sort of takes you blade to the next level, and you don't get that diamond paste burn that I always get.....

Also, it's always a good idea to find out who did what to your razor before you owned it, if that's possible.
Did they tape the spine? What did they finish it on? Believe me, it helps down the road when you need to touch up your blade. When I buy a razor off someone, I always ask them what they did to it....

Originally Posted by Lesslemming

because an 8k + Paste is totally enough. If you can´t get a good edge of an 8k with paste, you are not ready to go for a super-sensitive high grit finisher.
If the edge isn´t perfect at 8k level, things will only get worse
ond post 8k levels.
The higher the grit, the more sensitive to your honing skills the stone will be

Took the words outta my mouth !!!

Originally Posted by Stubear

Fair enough!

I just waded in with a 1/4/8/16k set of Shaptons...! Nothing like diving in the deep end!

Shaptons are a little different animal, and IMHO an easier system to use...
The Shapton stones if you are paying attention pretty much toss a huge flag up to the user when it is time to switch stones....and this is a big deal when learning. When do I move to the next higher grit???

Learning on the Nortons gives a very solid base of knowledge since there are so many tricks to them...

Also I would like to point out that many people always reccomend a Ch12k for a beginer polishing stone (it's cheap) and although there is nothing wrong with the stone, I never reccomend something that takes, on an average 100 laps to work... There are just way to much many chances of error in those 100 laps for a new honer...