Thread: Oil or Water for Honing?

well i've been learning how to work on my SRs, thanks to our forum knowledge I've managed to reset the bevels on 2 of my SRs and resharpen them enough to cut my leg hairs with very light pressure i have a norton combination stone, but it doesn't have the grit #. it's a crystolon 1x2x8, course and fine. my brother told me i need a 4000/8000 grit. i've seen videos on honing but everyone's been using water. the guy told me i should use honing oil, so that's whati've been using. would i get better results with water? is honing oil harmful? what are the pros/cons for either?

Originally Posted by rchljoey

well i've been learning how to work on my SRs, thanks to our forum knowledge I've managed to reset the bevels on 2 of my SRs and resharpen them enough to cut my leg hairs with very light pressure i have a norton combination stone, but it doesn't have the grit #. it's a crystolon 1x2x8, course and fine. my brother told me i need a 4000/8000 grit. i've seen videos on honing but everyone's been using water. the guy told me i should use honing oil, so that's whati've been using. would i get better results with water? is honing oil harmful? what are the pros/cons for either?

4/8k water will be fine. Oil is messy and everyone avoid until you have CF or arkansas Turkey stone etc.
gl

Sounds like you are learning, so "knowing" the grits of your stones would be most benificial. Yes, a norton, shapton, or naniwa (not in any order) would definately be good for you.

Water, as Sham mentioned, is all you should use.

The crystolon stone is an oil stone IIRC. If you get a norton 4/8 that is a waterstone and oil will clog it. Waterstones are softer than oil stones and lend themselves to sharpening and finishing fine edges like those on straight razors. Oil stones such as the one you have are a bit too coarse for straight razor finishing and are more appropriate for edges on knives and tools IME.

WATER ONLY! juan

Smear a bit of soap on your finger and rub the water all over your hone. A lightly soapy water is cleaner and behaves like oil.

The stone you have is probably a little too coarse for straight razors I reckon.

As others have said, its a good idea to go for stones with a known grit when you start out honing. Naniwa, Norton or Shapton, the choice is yours, but only use them with water. Oil will ruin them for sure!

Theres nothing stopping you using naturals to hone if thats what you'd rather do but naturals do vary from stone to stone, which makes it a little harder for us to give advice without your stone in front of us. Not impossible, just a little harder.

Loads of guys here use the Norton, Naniwa and Shapton systems and they are always the same stone to stone so you're in a good position to ask for advice.

'Scuse my rambling, so yes, water only!