Thread: Best set of hones.

I want to learn to hone. My buddy told me with a 1k, 4k and 8k would work along with the barber hone he sent me. I already plan on getting the norton 4k/8k combo, what would be the best 1k hone? And where can I get it. I want to get somthing that won't break the bank also.

THANKS!!

-Zach

Get a Naniwa 1K or a Norton 200/1000. If u get that and the 4/8k u will save some cash! look on amazon

if you wan to hone your own razors a good basic set is the Norton set you can find on Amazon for example.
If you want to do honing for others, there is no best set, you will need to acquire more than a few stones to meet every situation you encounter.
You will need to get yourself at least a CrO basla wood strop (cheapest to make) too.

It seems to be pretty widely accepted that good synthetic hones are the best to start on because they are the most consistant. The two top names seem to be Naniwa and Norton. I've used the Norton's a bit and the Naniwa's a bit, and I'd have to say they are both good, but they feel different to hone on. I thought the Nortons felt a bit more gritty, where the Naniwa's felt smoother. They are both quick cutters, but the Naniwa's seem to leave smoother edges. Again, this is from my limited experience (maybe 30 razors on Naniwas and less on Norton 4/8k).

I myself have a Norton 1k and have used the Naniwa 1k. I chose the Norton because I think it is a bit more aggressive, and I hone a lot of wedges, so aggressive is good for me. I have used the Norton 220 (I have the 220/1K combo), but I don't use it much. It seems to me like it breaks down a bit too quickly, and the loose grit on the surface feels... well I don't like it. The loose grit can also scratch the razor above the bevel, leaving a hazy scratch line that extends just above the bevel. I don't really like that.

If you decide to start on Nortons, I'd say grab the 4k/8k for sure and maybe the 1k, if you think you want to do serious amounts of honing early on (probably not a good idea; better to develop your stroke and learn a bit before going to something that aggressive). You can shave off an 8k, and I would suggest you try it a) to make sure you have a good edge before going to the barber hone and b) to learn what you can get out of the 8k and c) to make sure you are getting the most out of your 8k. After that, your barber hone may be sufficient, depending on which barber hone you have and what "sufficient" means to you.

If you get Naniwa's, you can get either the 3k/8k combo, the 3k and the 8k, or the 5k and the 8k. You could also get the 3k, 5k, and 8k (or 3k/8k combo and the 5k), but I honestly don't think you need all three. This is based on the input of others and my experience honing 12 razors from 1k to 3k to 8k and 12 razors from 1k to 5k to 8k. I couldn't really tell the difference and all were great shavers (I did use the 12k and diamond on felt after), so I know 3 to 8k works and I know 5 to 8k works and I see no reason to use all three. I will also add that I honed these 12 razors in a very short amount of time and tested them all in one shave and found all to shave quite well; that brings me to the conclusion that Naniwa's are pretty dang consistant. (Note I've not played with the Nortons to this extent).

Chrome Ox on Balsa can work quite well. I have it and I use it sometimes. Diamond on felt works very well; I don't have it but I've used it and was impressed with how well it worked. I don't usually use paste in by honing progression, though I must say I'm now considering adding in diamond on felt... So I wouldn't say you have to have paste/diamond, but it can be nice. In thinking about it, I would actually suggest you start without it. In much the same way that I think it's a good idea to start off shaving right off your 8k as a learning experience, I think it will also be a good learning experience to shave off your barber hone too.

While I do think different razors may "prefer" different hones, I don't think you need lots of different hones specifically to deal with different razors. Once you have a lot of experience and a solid honing "routine" (and I'm not saying I have either, btw), you should be able to make small changes to your routine if and when they are necessary to deal with any razor. Personally, I hone all my razors the same way, though that "same way" has changed a bit. I've not honed lots and lots of razors, I've done just enough to let me know I still have a lot to learn myself. I like to play around with new stuff, and I try to play around enough to form an educated opinion by doing a bunch of razors and eliminating as many variables as possible when testing.

Note: When I say "shave off hone X," I don't mean right off the hone. I always suggest stropping on leather before shaving. I personally don't use canvas, linen, or webbing and I'm not sure I ever have, so I can't comment on that.

You may want to consider the Naniwas or the Shaptons. Many of the most experienced guys have switched to one or both of these systems in their pursuit of the most effective methods to hone a razor. Slightly more money than a basic Norton set, but worth it IMO, if for no other reason than the rapidly growing knowledge base that accompanies these hones.

There is another camp that favors using a Coticule for everything from bevel setting to finishing by reducing the consistency of the slurry as they progress and then using water to finish. That's an oversimplification, but the point is that you could just get a coticule and work with it to handle all your honing. That works for a lot of guys.

If you are really lucky you will find that you have a low tolerance for HAD and you will end up with Nortons, Naniwas, Shaptons and Naturals. Then the best stone will be the next one you are thinking about buying, which keeps it pretty simple.

Oh yea; I totally forgot about the Shaptons...

Like the OP said tho, he didn't wanna break the bank with his first set. I say get the Norton starter set on Amazon. For the money, you will get many miles out of the Norton hones. Then, later down the line, if you so choose, you can get a set of the more expensive hones, or do what many of us have done and do "natural."

For 1k and below, you will pretty much be stuck with synthetics, but anything more, I would much rather use a natural stone than a synthetic hone.

But that's why they made chocolate ice cream

This is a general comment: Budget and price are important. What I can say now, looking back at stuff I've bought, is that I wish I would have spent some extra money up front and saved in the long run. But, that is my perspective based on what I bought to start, what I have now, and what I would like to get in the near future. To each his own.

On the topic of this thread: getting the Norton starter set is definitely a good buy.

To some degree there is a need to know when you need what.

If you buy a shave ready blade you do not need a bevel setter for sure.
Perhaps all you need is an 8K and a luxury 12K or finer polishing hone.
As others have commented a good shaver gets stropped, then canvas+strop,
then CrOx on balsa or 0.5 Diamond on balsa... eventually the razor will
profit from a hard hone set but may never see a 1K stone in the next
five or ten years (your mileage may vary).

If the OP is working on blades from hear and there that need serious
work The most important hone will be a flat aggressive hone and many
people like a continuous diamond hone.

I have been playing with abrasive film on glass. When compared
with the price of a set of rocks, this could be a good place to start.
At this point I have a growing collection of hones but the film on glass
gets to see my problem blade. It now shaves well enough but is not fully
"right" so it will see the film on glass for a while my others will see a
natural or perhaps the 4/8K norton.

The 0.3micron film on glass seems to be a super solution for
touching up a razor that no longer responds to the strops.
I was astounded how quickly it turned grey so it is clearly
cutting. It is also very easy to clean up after.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

This is a general comment: Budget and price are important. What I can say now, looking back at stuff I've bought, is that I wish I would have spent some extra money up front and saved in the long run. But, that is my perspective based on what I bought to start, what I have now, and what I would like to get in the near future. To each his own.

On the topic of this thread: getting the Norton starter set is definitely a good buy.

You're absolutely right, but since most people don't know which way they're gonna go, it's a safer bet to go with the safe bet. When I first started, I expected to go to Naniwa, or Shapton's after the Norton's, but realized I prefer natural stones better. So I guess in my case it would have been a step in the wrong direction to shell out the extra money for the higher priced synthetics