Thread: Well, I bit the bullet...

Originally Posted by IanS

I'd probably replace that 400 and 1000 with a F/VF DMT benchstone...

How does the Nani 400 compare to the DMT's you're talking about?

The fine is 600 the VF is 1200

It's a bit of a bump up grit wise, but DMT claims to be outrageously aggressive for the grit rating at low end (The insert that comes with them makes some claim about 30secs on a DMT being ~10mins on a whetstone) so I doubt the increase would even be noticeable.

I was asking how those DMT's compare to the Naniwa. You said you would replace the Naniwa with the DMT's, so I'm wondering what advantage they offer over the Naniwa.

Only reason I see to ever go under ~1k on a razor is to chew off metal. That requires pressure... that wears waterstones fast... heck that wears oilstones fast. If it's a choice between the highest maintenance option (waterstone) and the lowest (Diamond plate) at the most demanding maintenance level (low grit, aggressive cutting) I'd definitely recommend the maintenance free option unless waterstones offered major advantages, which at this grit, as far as I can see, they offer none. Supposedly DMT's are much faster as well, but I can't vouch for that. I haven't been willing to try to remove metal on whetstones. I'm actually looking to the other direction... power tools.

Now he probably won't need the 400 stone enough that this will even matter, but if someone does look to purchase one who will need that low of a grit commonly, I'd recommend they went for the plates instead of a stone for the reasons above.

Also, personal preference for me is DMT when it's a viable option. Reasons include: storage, durability, preptime (spray bottle vs soaking), surface (DMT bench is quite convenient), and a major personal reason being that I sharpen knives as well... I have to lap my waterstones immediately after I use them on knives before they can be used on razors again. That is a nonissue with DMT's. Less of an issue if you only use the stones for razors, but even razors do wear the stones after awhile (especially some of the meat cleavers I've been working on lately).

I'm sure the OP will value all that info when he considers your recommendation. I know that without all the background, I would not have been able to make an informed decision. I still can't actually, because I don't know anything about the Naniwa 400.

I don't have personal experience with Naniwa's either, but I have worked with other Synthetics in that grit range, and zib is far from the first person I've seen mention that Naniwa's tend to be pretty soft. And from knowing what I use my low grit DMT's for, I can only say I am VERY glad I don't have to worry about maintaining a flat surface on them. Maybe it's a minor inconvenience for others. It'd drive me crazy. I'm a lazy, lazy man. My 4k king is my softest stone... and it is a constant nuisance. Every time I overcorrect an angle for a smile by even the tiniest amount... huge scratch along the surface and once again it's lapping time. And these are zero pressure passes on a polishing stone. Leaning into a grinding stone... I don't want to even think about how often I'd wind up lapping that thing.

Thanks for all of the good information...

I am completely new at this, and as I'm sure you're aware there is an overwhelming amount of information out there... It's tough to sort it out without having any practical experience to base it on.
So, I just bought some stones and am going to jump into it. Once I actually start honing some razors, and understand better where the problem areas are and what my preferences are I will probably start to look at additional stones to supplement / complement / replace what I have.

To be perfectly honest, a lot of what you wrote doesn't even make sense to me right now, but I will come back and look at it again once I get started.

I have been doing a lot of reading, watched Lynn's youtube videos, and ordered the DVD. I'm kind of excited to take one of those old razors and see if I can put a shaving edge on it.