Thread: Looking for my first hone

I am a complete honing novice. I have honed three blades from dull to shave ready. I had a barber hone and I never got the hang of it.

I now use my naniwa 12k as part of my honing progression AND when I need to touch up a dulling razor. I have not used any other hones, so I cannot compare, but I can tell you that the Nani stones practically hone themselves. They are very "user friendly."

So, if I had to recommend a stone for touch ups, I would recommend the naniwa 12k. It is more expensive than some other options, but I think you will be very satisfied.

Originally Posted by Fbones24

I am a complete honing novice. I have honed three blades from dull to shave ready. I had a barber hone and I never got the hang of it.

I now use my naniwa 12k as part of my honing progression AND when I need to touch up a dulling razor. I have not used any other hones, so I cannot compare, but I can tell you that the Nani stones practically hone themselves. They are very "user friendly."

So, if I had to recommend a stone for touch ups, I would recommend the naniwa 12k. It is more expensive than some other options, but I think you will be very satisfied.

This one?
naniwa 12k $75

Ok, I ended up getting the naniwa 12k for 75 bucks linked above. Checked out different reviews, saw it was a liked hone, saw it normally goes for $150 and decided to take the plunge.

Thanks to everyone for your imput. After 3 months, I'm delving further into the world of straight shaving!

Well, that is the one. I'm sure you will be more than satisfied with your purchase.

They don't come flat. More critically, they don't stay flat, though the 12k requires less lapping than the lower grits. Also, lapping is not done just to keep the hone flat. It is also done to refresh the surface.

Originally Posted by Utopian

They don't come flat. More critically, they don't stay flat, though the 12k requires less lapping than the lower grits. Also, lapping is not done just to keep the hone flat. It is also done to refresh the surface.

How often should I refresh the surface? 5 or 10 strokes every month won't wear it down too fast I imagine?

I think the coticule would be a good general touch up stone as you can alter the cutting ability with slurry. As Dylan says, be sure to talk to the vendor and tell them what you're after.

Good choice on the Naniwa 12K. Like Fbones24, I'm a complete honing novice, but have been able to fairly easily get excellent results on razors that had previously been professionally sharpened--results as good as what I got from the pros. I have read and reread every article I could find, and I've watched a slew of videos, and that all helped with technique.

I've got a long way to go before I can take a dull razor and bring it to shave ready, but bringing the final finishing sharpness was easier than I expected. I too contemplated coticules and barber hones, but I was concerned about the variability making the learning process harder. I'm glad I started with synthetics.

Jack

Even though I got a 12k, I'm still thinking about getting one of the barber's hones from whipped dog. He has a nice selection right now, and good prices as well.

Glen too has a nice selection of barber's hones
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