Finishing thread. What hones are best. What hone do you use?

[gssixgun]

I have a Shapton 16k and I love it.

I'm looking to get the 30k though, Glen talked me into it..! :-)

That damn Glen

I like the 16k very, consistent, the 30k is more of the same, but harder to use.. the 3-2-1 system is running at 100% right now...

The 12k Naniwa SS is a smooth finisher, very, very, consistent

I have an XX-Fine Coti that works great on older Sheffield's

Also my oldest stone from 1981 that I not quite sure what it is (Maybe Arkansas) but it is a nice finisher too...

I used a Japanese something on Sat... Very nice stone, very smooth stone...
One of our members was in my little town for Thanksgiving with his family, and stopped by to meet, talk, and hone razors.. We HAD a great time (pun intended) I can see a Japanese finisher in my "quiver" (ty Jimmy) soon...I even tried to talk him into selling me that one...

I would really like to "find" a really fine Escher, and to steal Lynn's Charnley Forest from him

Randydance had some deep quarry stones at the NC meet that I would have liked to play with some too, I kept waiting for him to turn his back on those but he didn't...

[JimmyHAD]

That damn Glen

+1 !! ......

[mainaman]

So are his ratings on the listings bogus? Because he rates the grit as 3++ (where I understand 3+++ is the highest possible), basically every rating he gives the stones is ideal or damn close to it. I'm sure you're right because the price is way below what most people with Japanese stones have paid, but I'm wondering how that can be identified. Are the japanese ratings standardized at all or could I pick a brick up off the street and list it as a 5+++, 3+++, 3+++, 3+++++, 1?

Just FYI a legitimate Nakayama with the size of regular synthetic is in the $1.5k + range.
The stones 330mate sells are smaller and obviously of average quality stones. I asked him how come he sells Oohira size #40 for $68 , and he said he is just a miner and does not know anything about stones. Imo he knows very well what a good stone is and that's why he has some stones that are pretty expensive.
I think the stones he sells on eBay are very good before a really good finisher, and that is what I am going to use my $70 Nakayama for.
My Oohira Suita just arrived, I'll test drive it and post a quick review later.

[FatboySlim]

I wish this poll were multiple choice. I went with Japanese because my Nakayama Karasu is overall the best finisher I've ever used, on most razors. Very few razors I've touched, regardless of how good their edges are, couldn't benefit from a few water-only finishing laps on a good Nakayama hone. But I've also had excellent finishing results with a Charnley Forest, and with a very hard Coticule I recently acquired. By that I mean that by my own informal sharpness/shaving tests, as good as my Nakayama stones.

Yet I've had only mediocre results with the Eschers I have, and my 3-line Swaty. Please, not knocking these stones at all, as I know full well that most folks get great results with them. Heck, their proven track record is why I bought them . Just sharing my own personal experiences with using them, wishing I could do better.

Honing is a mix of the person doing the honing, the stone, and the razor. I think maybe I just "click" with some stones more than others. I still love every one of them though.

[holli4pirating]

I don't know about which is the best, but I really like my Asagi. If you're gonna put in the DT, I think you should include the BBW - they are about the same. Then again, I don't think the 8k, DT, or BBW are finishers in the first place.

[IanS]

I figured a lot of people use the nort 8k as a finisher followed by pastes, and some may even think that it's the way to go .

BBW wasn't in mostly cause I figured the guys who WOULD finish on a BBW would instead just buy a coti, as the price difference is not THAT huge and they are often sold together or beside one another. DT was definately a silly choice to add though, I agree. Probably should have added another natural to it like Thuringian instead.

Seems like it will be moot in the end as the Japanese stones are just stomping all over everyone else. I figured Coti's and Eschers would put up more of a fight. All their proponents are probably off drinking delicious beer from those areas.

[Croaker]

Since I acquired my Eschers, I have not looked back. I use a coticule with slurry, but always finish on an Escher. The shaves are much better in terms of closeness and comfort.

[zib]

Nakayama Maruichi Asagi, Kiita, Suita. If I spelled correctly. Either Nakayama's or Escher. Top two IMHO. I have others, Shaptons, Ehhh, Don't really like em...Coti's of course are great, Naniwa, good, but there's better...
Bruno's right. Once you use a Nakayama, it's like a light goes on, and you Say, "God" What have I been missing. Mine's a little slow, but that's fine. I enjoy every minute of it. I can do about 50 passes on it, and a so so blade becomes ultra sharp, and so smooth. I took a Black Dovo Bismarck today that was a crappy shaver, 50 passes on the Nakayama and it's just fantastic. They are my favorite hone.

[matt321]

One-micron diamond lapping film works better for me than 16K GS or 12K Nani.

[onimaru55]

Nakayama Asagi at the moment but who knows maybe one day I can afford a Kiita