Naniwa Super Stone questions...

[FloorPizza]

Hey Gents!

Long time no see.

Kind of a long story, but the past couple years have been... trying, to say the least. I sold my complete set of Shapton on Glass stones, a bunch of razors, a bunch of guns, and other collectibles due to extended time off work from medical problems. But that's all behind me now, things are going great.

So for the past year or so, I've made do with a couple Coticules, and a four sided pasted paddle strop. I've had pretty good success at keeping my daily shavers acceptably sharp, but now I'm back where I was a few years ago...restoring some old razors that I've had for years now.

So I need new stones. I did like my Shaptons, but they never seemed to be very fast cutters. Fast stones are a necessity for me, as I have shaky hands, and I'm a two-handed honer that uses slow strokes. As you can imagine, without fast cutting stones, it takes me forever to take a completely dull blade to smooth shaver.

I've had great success taking dull razors to smooth shavers using the coticules, but both of my coties are pretty slow cutters, even with a heavy slurry (well, that's not entirely true.. one is fast *for a cotie*, but that's still not very fast for me since I'm so slow). The results are good, but getting there is a long, arduous process.

If you were on a limited budget, would you go with the Naniwa Super Stones? I just added up the cost of a 1K through 12k set and lapping stone (my DMT's are MIA due to a recent move), and it comes out just a bit over 300 bucks. Sheesh, I paid more than that just for my 32k Shapton! This seems like a great deal, but... they need to be fast cutters.

Are the Super Stones some of the fastest cutters around, or can you guys recommend an alternative set for a slow honer like me?

Also, I'm thinking about selling my coties. Back when I bought them, the price of coties was going through the roof. Are they still spendy, or has the price come down a ways?

[wsfarrell]

Super Stones are plenty fast, and you could probably finance them with your coticules. Word has it that cots are getting even more pricey. If it were me, I'd make the trade now. You could wait six months and maybe get 10% more for your coticules, but then you wouldn't have had Super Stones to play with for six months. Timing is everything, as you know...

[JimmyHAD]

From what I hear the Choseras are fastest out there but they are pricey. At least the 10,000 is.

If you want stone recommendations that is fine. If you want to buy some post a WTB in the classifieds.

If you want to sell your coticules post an ad in the classifieds. We don't allow soliciting in the forum outside of the classifieds.

I'm not pulling your post so that others can see this reminder in case they haven't read the rules we all agree to when we register.

[FloorPizza]

From what I hear the Choseras are fastest out there but they are pricey. At least the 10,000 is.

If you want stone recommendations that is fine. If you want to buy some post a WTB in the classifieds.

If you want to sell your coticules post an ad in the classifieds. We don't allow soliciting in the forum outside of the classifieds.

I'm not pulling your post so that others can see this reminder in case they haven't read the rules we all agree to when we register.

Hey Jimmy, not trying to solicit anything. Just wondering what the market for coties has done in the past couple years is all. Didn't interpret the rules to mean that asking what the market has done is a no-no.

Your post seems like I upset you with what I said. Certainly wasn't my intention.

I'll just do some reading, and avoid posting stuff from now on.

[JimmyHAD]

Hey Jimmy, not trying to solicit anything. Just wondering what the market for coties has done in the past couple years is all. Didn't interpret the rules to mean that asking what the market has done is a no-no.

Your post seems like I upset you with what I said. Certainly wasn't my intention.

I'll just do some reading, and avoid posting stuff from now on.

My bad for not sending you a PM instead of posting publicly. I don't doubt that selling your coticules was not your intention. OTOH, your post could have been interpreted as looking for a buyer for your coticules. That was the point of my previous reply. Feel free to post FP and glad to see you back around.

[Ryan82]

Hey FloorPizza, it has been awhile! I guess you missed the Naniwa craze then? Yes, they've gained a solid reputation for being good hones at great prices. Many members have the entire line and use them as a system without complaint. You could certainly do worse.

Be well,

Ryan

[Bob44]

My naniwa 220 cuts much faster than my shapton 220. However, neither one of them are fast compared to my sigma SiC water stone or norton crystelon, but you are looking for stones starting at 1k. My understanding of the superstones in higher grits is that they cut more slowly than other options, but leave a highly polished edge.

Lately, I've been trying some of the stones recommended on the tools from japan blog and store. So far, his analysis of japanese water stone properties has been accurate. The king neo 800 grit, naniwa chosera 1k and sigma power select 2 are reported to be the fasted stones in the 1k range. When my shapton 1k wears out, or I have the money, I plan on trying a king neo. I also use a shapton 4k and 8k, but I plan on replacing both the them with a sigma 8k, as it cuts so aggressively you can jump from 1k to 8k. Right now I go from the 8k shapton to a pasted strop, but I'd like to add a kitayama 8k as a final polishing stone.

[BKratchmer]

The Naniwas are great in the higher grits, and they cut very quickly, but I find the 1K range is far too soft-- it dishes too quickly, and just doesn't set bevels well. I think maybe a Norton, Chosera, or Shapton 1K and then a 5k-8k-12k Naniwa set would do very well for you.

[FloorPizza]

Thanks for all the info, Gents, much appreciated. Leaning toward getting the 1k in Chosera form, then getting the rest of the Super Stone line up. Especially if the Chosera 1k is one of the fastest around... it takes me forever to set bevels.

That was one of the things I didn't like about my Shapton 1k... it took *forever* to set a bevel with the thing. The speed of the stone sucked, but the quality of the bevel was sa-weet.

Honestly, I'd be willing to spend the most money at the 1k level than any other hone. Dreaming about a 1k stone that would set bevels with no microchips in even the most brittle stainless steel very quickly. I've always kinda felt like the 1k stone really was the foundation that the rest of the edge was based on, and a really good bevel setter is a necessity.

Thanks again, Gents, much appreciated.

[onimaru55]

Hey FP & welcome back.
Shame your DMT's are MIA. Don't get any faster & flatter than diamond plates for restore work. Tho the microchipping can be an issue with some razors. I usually swap out to my Shaptons GS after the DMT's. Don't find speed an issue with the Shaps but honing style could play a part. Hard to avoid some microchipping on the coarser stones but the next stone in line should deal with it. Good luck with whatever your choice