Thread: Please help with hone decision... tnx

Hello!

Well I guess I need to learn more about hones now....... Naniwa, Norton, Shapton.... I thought I was ready to buy Nortons but I recently read a bad review about quality?...Then I noticed Lynn does not sell them on SRD... I read some nice things about Naniwa from several SRP mentors....and I know very little about Shaptons.

So what is a begining honer to consider? Can I mix stones say shapton 220 and 1000 with Naniwa 5 / 8 / 12? There is a little difference in price ... but over a decade of use... not enough to make that much difference.. and by the way

what is a lap stone for and do I need one? Soneone said a 220 stone will work as a lap stone is that correct?

If I am restoring ebay or antique store razors do I need a 220 to set the bevel or can I use a 1000???

Which ones are best and easiest to use and learn to hone with? Naniwa? Shapton? Norton.. other??

Can I buy stone and sharpen my recently restored razor or do I need a razor or two to practice with???

Right now I'm likeing the looks of the Naniwa and Shapton but I've had Norton in my head since I started Straight Razor Shaving and feel I might be a traitor if I do something different... even Lynns Video talks more about the Norton 4/8 then others

Can anyone help me... has the tide turned toward a different brand now...

Tnx a lot... there is so much to learn... I truly appreciate everyone's help..

Maq

I have the Nortons and can't say that I have any issue with quality, I can tell you though the out of the following:

220
1000
4000
8000

Chinese 12k

I've never put a razor to the 220. I've set the bevel on the 1000 but generally I only hit the 4000 and finish on the 8000 with a final polish on the 12k. If you want / need a single hone the 4k/8k is a workhorse

As many folks here stated in a bunch of threads, and my personal experience, Naniwa provides a very good line with consistent performance. If you have the funds get the whole series and you will be just fine.

Nortons are also considered good stones, and I have not seen complaints here about quality.

As far as mixing, yes you can but you also have to somewhat experiment to find out which stones from which makers match to get you the best edge. The process of finding the matching stones can be expensive.

A while ago the Norton 4K/8K was the standard hone for straight razors. Part of the reason was that guys like Lynn (who has worn out a bunch of Norton stones) built up a pretty good knowledge base for the rest of us who just wanted to become proficient at honing. The video you are referring to came from that period of time, which was a few years ago.

Given that most of us here on SRP are at least mildly obsessive, the search is always on for better ways to tweak our razors. Again, it's the top guys that are generally leading the charge and this has lead to a switch to the Shaptons and Naniwas as the current state of the art in synthetic hones. While the Nortons still work fine, they have been displaced by the newer stones for several reasons. Consistency, performance, range of grit rating to name a few.

You can mix and match brands if you have a specific need to, but if you are starting from scratch it will be easier for you to stick with one brand. They all need to be lapped in pretty much the same way. I think the most balanced choice for a lapping stone is the DMT 8C 325 grit diamond plate. It's relatively cheap, works extremely well and can be used for other things in addition to lapping.

I would suggest cruising the honing and restoration areas for answers to some of your other questions. There is a ton of ancillary information beyond the "long story short" answers you will get in this context.

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You can mix and match brands if you have a specific need to, but if you are starting from scratch it will be easier for you to stick with one brand. They all need to be lapped in pretty much the same way. I think the most balanced choice for a lapping stone is the DMT 8C 325 grit diamond plate. It's relatively cheap, works extremely well and can be used for other things in addition to lapping.

I would suggest cruising the honing and restoration areas for answers to some of your other questions. There is a ton of ancillary information beyond the "long story short" answers you will get in this context.

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+1 on the DMT 325 for quick lapping of most stones. However I would recommend not lapping a Swaty barber hone with the DMT 325. It leaves a nasty stain on the diamond plate. Talk to Sham [ hi_bud_gl ] about lapping your hones with a carborundum stone. He is doing some research in this area.

Lapping needs to be done to maintain some level of consistency, especially for the less experienced honers. The two cheapest lappers I have are the DMT 325 and the Norton lapping stone. They both work acceptably.

Keep asking questions and answers will come.