Thread: Which Shapton for bevel setting

I am looking for a bevel setting hone. Apart from many natural hones I only have the 1500 and 5K Shapton fron this range: Japanese Waterstones: Shapton

Which one would you recommend as a coarser hone: 120, 220 or 320?

I would recommend trying bevel setting with your 1500 instead of going lower in grit rating. Going down to 320 creates a lot of work for you later in the process. I've had good results setting bevels with 4K.

If you have a damaged blade, you could consider dropping to a 1K stone, but I rarely touch mine anymore.

Kees - depends on how many razors you hone and how much you like lapping hones to some degree. I have tried the sub 1000 grit shaptons and they dish very quickly - the 600 grit one dishes noticeably before you have finished using it.

The chosera range isn't that expensive for below 1000 grit (and that stone is a good fast bevel-setter), and they are quite a bit harder. I tend to stick around 600 most of the time - if I have to go below that its a diamond plate.

Regards,
Neil

I'm with Neil on the diamond plate. If it is below 1k that is where I go and rarely unless there is a deep chip to remove. The 1k Chosera is my latest and probably last bevel setter. Lynn and Dylan both recommended it and I'm very happy with the speed and cut of the Chosera. Don't know about the coarser grits since it is the DMT for me with those.

@ace,

For some chips it takes ages with the 1500. I use little pressure even when removing chips. Every so often I cannot resist the temptation to use a little pressure and almost always I have come to regret it.

To all,

I would have liked to have one from the Shapton range but if they dish that much I need to consider a different low grit hone. Whatever coarse hone it is, please no hone that has to be soaked like the Norton. I'll look into the Chosera and DMT.

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

The chosera range isn't that expensive for below 1000 grit (and that stone is a good fast bevel-setter), and they are quite a bit harder. I tend to stick around 600 most of the time - if I have to go below that its a diamond plate.

This is my approach as well. I use the Chosera 600 and 800 for bevel setting, then follow with a Shapton Pro and then the Naniwa SS just to "acclimate" the edge to the Naniwas.

Originally Posted by Kees

I am looking for a bevel setting hone. Apart from many natural hones I only have the 1500 and 5K Shapton fron this range: Japanese Waterstones: Shapton

Which one would you recommend as a coarser hone: 120, 220 or 320?

None of those .
I think it is too aggressive.
i wouldn't go below 1k level while i hone straight razors.
hope helps.

Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

None of those .
I think it is too aggressive.
i wouldn't go below 1k level while i hone straight razors.
hope helps.

+1

Anything much lower than 1k should be reserved for grinding out large chips and re-shaping a blade.

@ hi_bud_gl and VeeDubb65,

How do you remove the little chips that are just visible to the naked eye? It takes me more than an hour to get rid of them on the 1.5K Shapton. Any suggestion as to a faster but not too aggressive hone?