Thread: are shapton hones worth the purchase?

I was thinking of getting glass shapton. is that the glass hones? Are they good?

My understanding is that there is a grit embedded in a ceramic, which is bonded to a glass. So you are not honing on glass, the glass is just a backing for the hone. I've never used Shaptons, but they are one of the big names in hones that are talked about on the forum, so yes, if you lean to use them, they will serve you well.

I own all but the 30k. They're a solid predictable low maintenance system and they perform exceptionally well.

My favorite bevel setter is my Shapton 1k glass stone that I ripped in half lengthwise and bonded to a piece of marble tile the same size. I like narrow hones.

Chris L

I have the 1/4/8/16k Shaptons, and they are all great.

They are hard wearing, give good feedback and put great edges on razors..! Personally, I'd recommend them as I am very happy with mine..!

Shapton stones are very reliable and extremely versatile, IMO. I have and use all the Glass and Pro stones almost exclusively. Aside from Razors, I use them for sharpening knives, woodworking tools, scissors, medical and orthodontic instruments, pliers and wire cutters. They never get dusty in my house -they barely even get the chance to dry out!

On the high end is the Shapton 30k. It gives me the finest edge of any hone I have ever used. No matter what stone system I use or experiment with, the final finish is the 30k and a few passes on plain leather for my finest edges.
No stone system is perfect and all have strengths and weak points, but the Shapton system is never a mistake and will give you great edges on all kinds of steels.

I own Shaptons 220, 500, 1K, 2K, 4K, 8K, 16K, & 30K. Before then, I used a Norton 4/8K. I also use a Japanese natural stone as well as a La Petit Blanche coticule. The answer to the question, "is it worth it?" is one that only you will be able to answer. To me, I say it's probably worth it because I have a full line of synthetic stones that I will probably have for the rest of my life considering I'm honing primarily for myself and guys that I do for free. However, I can do the same thing on my coticule that these stones do, but it takes more strokes and more skill along with more trial and error... I do find that I like the edge off of my Japanese natural stone and Coticule better than the edge off my Shapton 30K, but there's not a tremendous difference.

Having said that, I know guys who like the Naniwa SS better than Shaptons. So, considering they are cheaper, that may be a "better" option...

The truth of the matter is that while you can get a lot of input from us, this is very much an existential question that you won't really know the answer to until you experience them...

I hope this helps

I have the 500 through 8k with a 16k in the mail. I have a DMT course to lap them with.

I use them for razors, knives, and plane blades. I've never had Nortons so I can't compare the two.

You'll may hear some stuff about them being "sticky" ...I can see where those comments come from but it's not a problem for me. IIt's just another type of feedback for me.

Get 'em, If you don't like 'em I'd bet you can sell them on the classifieds for 85% of new price.

You don't NEED to spend anymore than 4k/8k. Heck, I shaved off of sandpaper and balsa strops for awhile. (not recommended)

Originally Posted by richmondesi

The truth of the matter is that while you can get a lot of input from us, this is very much an existential question that you won't really know the answer to until you experience them...

The above is it in a nutshell. FWIW, I don't have glass but I have a full set of Shapton pros 1k thru 30k, a full set of Naniwas, and a full set of Nortons. I like them all but I like the Naniwas best. Than there are the naturals. ..... Any of them will do the job in the hands of a skillful honer. Just stick with what you get and learn to know them.

As you have already read there are many opinions, and as of yet I actually haven't run into many hones I don't like ....

The Shaptons are a SHARP set of stones, they will probably get a given razor SHARPER then any other set... (before you disagree I am talking true micron sharpness, not anything else)

Their true strength is in the "Flags" they throw up as you reach the end of each stones usefulness, Many stones you have to guess when to move on the the next stone, with the Shapton GS set they are very obvious about it...