Thread: Question about my Next Fix

Okay...I want to buy another stone. Here's what I have:

• DMT 325
• DMT 1200
• Norton combo set: 220/1K, 4K/8K
• Naniwa 3K/8K combo and Naniwa 12K
• Chinese 12K
• A few barber hones
• SRD Nylon fabric strop with CrOx (green stuff)
• Tony Miller Linen fabric (daily strop)
• SRD Premium IIII daily strop

At this point I set the bevel with the DMTs and then hone on the Naniwas. I don't use the Norton's much because I often have to hone in unexpected openings in my schedule and there's not time to soak them! Plus I love the Naniwas.

I think I've got good low-grit resources, but I'm thinking I need either something to fill the gap between the Naniwa 3K and 8K, but I also think it might be nice to have something above the 12K.

These days, I've drinking the "most of the work is at the low grits" Kool-Aid (Shout-out to Glen!) so I am wondering if having a Naniwa 5K between the 3K and 8K would strengthen my basic sharpening.

Don't any of you come on here and say something lame like "Hey that's a good set of stones, you don't need any more...just hone and shave."

I wanna buy something NOOOOOWWWWWWW!!!!!!

I wouldnt add the 5k, its fine to go from the 3k to the 8k and the only difference it would make would be to spend slightly less time on the 3k and more time on your new 5k.

If I had your line up I'd be adding natural finishers to it. Stones like Coticules, Eschers, Thuringians, Charnley Forest or some sort of high end Japanese stone would really make a difference to your finished edges.

If you like the edges you're getting now from the stones you have I think a J-Nat or something would really take things to the next level.

My naturals have basically rendered my pasted strops redundant!

Originally Posted by Stubear

I wouldnt add the 5k, its fine to go from the 3k to the 8k and the only difference it would make would be to spend slightly less time on the 3k and more time on your new 5k.

If I had your line up I'd be adding natural finishers to it. Stones like Coticules, Eschers, Thuringians, Charnley Forest or some sort of high end Japanese stone would really make a difference to your finished edges.

If you like the edges you're getting now from the stones you have I think a J-Nat or something would really take things to the next level.

My naturals have basically rendered my pasted strops redundant!

Lawson,
It seems like you have a big gap between your 3K and 8K Naniwa...I would add 5K to that, if you wish. I have a 1, 5, 8, 12k Naniwa and haven;t found a use for the 3k.

+1 on Stu's recommendation about Natural Stones. They make a HUGE difference in edge polish/finish. But the caveat is that some of these naturals come with a hefty price tag too. I found Cotis to be a very nice addition to any hone collection because they tend to cover ~3-8K range...all using just one stone. But they have a personality and you have to spend time getting to know them.

Eschers and JNats are $$, but fabulous stones. The edges off these things are really polished.

What's your budget? That will dictate what you can and cannot buy.

I know others will disagree, but I'm such a fan of doing the lower grits right, I would recommend the 2k, and the 5k! I know that others say you can do higher grit jumps, but I've seen the effect that has with sanding, so with honing I still stick with reducing the jumps as much as possible.

I went through a lot of trouble finding the 2k. At the time I got mine, there wasn't anyone in the US that was selling it.

Originally Posted by Stubear

If I had your line up I'd be adding natural finishers to it. Stones like Coticules, Eschers, Thuringians, Charnley Forest or some sort of high end Japanese stone would really make a difference to your finished edges.

+1 to the Naturals. They're too much fun to ignore. You never know exactly how to fit them into a progression, and they look great. Don't confine your decision to finishers, though that's really where they shine. I've spent the last week figuring out whether my Dragon's Tongue is equivalent to my Coticule, and no one, I repeat NO ONE, can say for sure whether it will. All naturals are different. If you've got HAD, naturals will keep you confused and twitching in the gutter for a year or so.

You might also consider that going au natural will expand your hone-hunting regimen far beyond looking for prices on websites. Soon you'll be considering international shipping and moving fast when you've got a lead on a Charnley.

...but often times I don't know what I'm talking about.

You are in a lot of trouble.

Originally Posted by Bill S

You are in a lot of trouble.

True that. That's what the kids say: "True that."

if you want some thing in the middle i would suggest a natural aoto stone its in the 2000-3000 grit range or some thing at the end i would suggest a spyderco ultra fine hone (high alumina ceramic) it puts a true mirror finish on a razor

There are so many options on the high end... You could buy hones and hones and hones and spend money and money and money. To be honest, I really liked finishes I used to get off the C12k I had, and the only reason I stopped using her was my gf got me an Asagi. ...And then I scored a vintage Thurry in a lot.

If you were going to get a new bevel setter, I could recommend the 1k Chosera. I also like their 600, in case you want something lower. They are harder than the Naniwa SS's, so you don't have to worry about them dishing, and they are "gentle" cutters like the SS's, but still fast. I don't know how Naniwa does that...

If you want something in between the 3k and 8k (though, as Stu said, I don't think it's necessary), the 5k is a great hone. I really like mine (I go from my DMT1200 to the Naniwa 5k these days).

If you want something to PLAY with, I would suggest a bbw/coti as a good place to start. They are readily available, and there is a lot of collective coticule experience in case you'd want to ask for help. Another PLAY hone I enjoyed for a while is an Aoto. Ultimately, it was a bit softer than I liked, but if you're only doing one razor at a time, a good one can be a lot of fun. They are probably in the 2k to 5k range.

I recommend a coticule, for the following reasons; the final edge polish and shave smoothness is superior, you can accomplish a variety of different honing tasks by varying the amount of slurry from thick to none, and they give good feedback when you are getting "there", like no other stone I have used, including Eschers. Smooooooooth. My .02 worth. They are all different and you have to get to know them, as was previously stated.