Thread: Bevel-setting grit range?

1k seems to work for me, though i have dropped for a razor or 2 in in a poor state.

Ok gang, I pulled the trigger on a Naniwa 1k. It was time to get a true bevel stone.

Thanks everyone

Ohhh, pitty the poor under rated belgian blue.

You tried the carbo, you tried the coti with slurry...why did you not try the blue with slurry? I bet it works a wonder if it doesnt need a lot of metal removal.

Typcially, BBW with slurry is slower than coti with slurry because it has a lower garnet content.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Typcially, BBW with slurry is slower than coti with slurry because it has a lower garnet content.

But if its the garnet content that makes for the cutting speet/ability, and they are both the same otherwise, doesnt that imply that the BBW can produce a finish equal to the coti, but will just take longer to accomplish it?

There are so many factors... a few that I know of are % garnet content and garnet size - lower and larger (in that order) when comparing the BBW to the Coti. I don't know about how the garnets fracture in coti vs bbw, I don't know the release rate, I don't know the various shapes, and there is a ton of other stuff that I don't even know I don't know.

Then again, they're natural stones and they vary, so there are probably no blanket statements that apply. One would have to experiment with a give coti and a given BBW to make a comparison between specific stones. (Personally, I have other things I'd rather do with my time.)

I usually use....

1. 320 - 500 grit sandpaper to remove nicks apparent to the naked eye.

2. 1000 grit sandpaper to remove micro nicks. IMHO the Norton 1000 is to slow and the DMT is to harsh on the edge. My second choice is the Shapton Glass 1000. I have not tried a Naniwa SS.

3. Norton 4000 to finalize a bevel. I have used this for years and it always works. My second choice is a Shapton Glass 4000.

Just my $.02,

Regarding the bbw versus the yellow I've read that the much larger size of the garnet in the bbw account for it's sharpening ability (with slurry) while the smaller size of the garnet in the yellow account for the finer finishing characteristics. Pretty sure Rob of Ardennes Coticule posted that some time a go when he used to participate in the forums.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Personally, I don't like going too far under 1k on razors. The exception would be heavy grind AND needs serious metal removed. This is part of why I've been liking my DMT1.2k so much. The only hones under 1k that I really like are the Choseras. The others feel too rough and slurry/dish too easily for me to be comfortable with them (and the lower grit DMT's are to aggressive for me).

After the break in period, it actually leaves a very nice bevel when used without pressure. But if you want to remove some serious metal, just a little pressure will get that job done. It's pretty impressive how fast the water on the hone turns black. The added bonuses are you'll never get stone slurry, and it's always flat.

I go back and forth between wanting to replace the DMT with a Chosera 1k and wanting to keep the DMT forever and ever. At the moment, I'm on the DMT's side.

Very well said, Dylan. I moved to the Naniwa 1K for bevel setting because I love it's consistency, feel and gentleness. I was inspired to buy one after watching Lynn's effortless-looking honing in the '09 Razorcon videos. But the DMT 1200 is so effective at removing and shaping metal on deeply troubled razors that it's hard to beat, so I keep one handy.

Unless the spine itself is also screwed, I tape the spine when using the DMT because my too-heavy hand causes it to chew up spines too quickly. With pressure, the DMT 1200 doesn't take any guff from any razor, even screwed up Reynolds wedges can be brought to heel. And no need for lapping, to boot.

For typical bevel resets on non-screwed razors, the Naniwa 1K is perfect. If I had the patience, I think it can handle damaged razors too. It's as gentle as something of it's grit can be while still being very effective. If I don't get it right the first time, I feel I can start over without worrying about chewing up the razor. It doesn't deeply scratch bevels or micro-chip edges, and has extremely consistent feedback, without the "honing on concrete" feel of the DMT 1200. No soaking, and it cleans up/laps well between uses. Again, very consistent, and less pressure sensitive than the DMT at comparable grit.

Since I've adjusted to it's feel, I have little trouble knowing when a razor is ready to "move on" to the next higher grit, the edges are very consistent. I've learned fairly quickly how a Naniwa 1K edge should feel when it's right, and I think that's a big, big help.