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

[IanS]

Poll is for what hone is the best. Posts are for elaborating, giving experiences, and talking about what you use.

Options:

Charnley Forest
Translucent Arkansas
Coticule
China 12k
Dragon Tongue
Norton 8k
Barber hone (Post which)
Naniwa/Shapton (Post type/Grit)
Japanese stone (Post as much info as you can, these confuse the hell outta me)
Other (Post what, and grit if applicable)

Feel free to elaborate however ya want in post.

[PaulX608]

Other.

I use 0.5µm Aluminum Oxide film on a glass block.

[StraightRazorDave]

I selected Japanese stone. It's a Nakayama Maruichi Kiita purchased from OLD_SCHOOL.

Here's a picture of it when it had the stamps and before I removed it from the wooden base and applied lacquer to the sides and bottom.

[JimmyHAD]

I selected other. A lot of the time I finish on an Escher. I've used yellow/green, blue/green, light green with real good results judging by my personal shave. The same can be said for a couple of different Belgian coticules I have and work with when the mood strikes.

I've got a couple of Hohenzollern hones (Thuringan type) that are real good finishers. I also have finished on the Charnley Forest and it was good and the Tam 'O Shanter. Still looking for a good single grit Water of Ayr.

Sometimes I might use a Shapton professional 15k and once in a while go up to the Shapton pro 30k. Lately because I resolved to really get to know them I've stayed with the Naniwa superstone series and finished on their 12k. Any of these options give me satisfactory results.

I haven't gotten into the legendary Nakayama stones yet but I know I will eventually. Aside from their beauty I hear such wonderful things about them that I will have to give them a whirl when the time comes.

[ZethLent]

For much of my straight razor shaving career I have jumped around trying to find what works best for me and my razors (lapping film, thuringian, coticule, chromium oxide, J-Nats x 7). The longest stop was on a vintage coticule combined with chromium oxide.

But recently, I have jumped back into the J-Nat honing circle and from my initial results, I am going with J-Nat. For now my Oohira Suita with Renge has top spot. But I have yet to test out my new Nakayama Maruichi Suita and another Nakayama Maruichi Asagi. Either way I am very happy with my edges off of the suita I have.

[IanS]

Other.

I use 0.5µm Aluminum Oxide film on a glass block.

Have you ever used the shapton 30k, and are the results about the same? (Shapton 30k is apparently .5micron particles embedded in glass if I read the info correctly).

[ScottGoodman]

Nani 12k followed with leather. RAD hit me hard and I have to quit for a while, wanting to try the nakayama's. I've had HAD once before & hope I get no relapses...not as bad as Jimmy though ;-)

[Bruno]

Nakayama Maruichi Asagi for me.
Not cheap by any means, but to me it is the perfect finisher.
Ever since I bought it, I am free of HAD. I even sold my 8x3 coticule because I hadn't used it in over a eyar since I bought the nakayama.

Here is my post about that stone:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/advan...age-japan.html

[bjorn]

Since I bought this Nakayama Maruichi from So at Japan Tool it's become my most used finisher.


Pic shows the hone wet, and before lapping.

[Stubear]

I have a Shapton 16k and I love it.

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