Originally Posted by
JimmyHAD
I began honing razors with the Norton Starter Kit. I soon added a Shapton Pro 15k and a DMT D8C 325 lapping plate. Because I had gotten the 15k pro from a friend I decided to go with the other stones in the Pro line and got all of them from 1 to 30k. I also got the Shapton GDLP lapping plate. Not long after that the Naniwa SuperStones came out and got great reviews. I had gotten good results with the Nortons and with the Shapton pros but was intrigued by the Naniwas. Business was good in those days and I bought them too.
After a couple of years of using all of the above I found that I liked the Norton 4/8 the best and I sold all of the naniwas and most of the shaptons. I kept the 15k and 30k pros and the lapping plate. I recently added the Chosera 1k to the mix and that has become my go to bevel setter when I need to go that low. I don't use a 1k unless I need it. Many times a 4k is sufficient. So having used all of these my personal preferences ended up being Chosera 1k, Norton 4/8 and either an Escher or a Nakayma Asagi to finish. I rarely use the 15k pro or the 30k.
The GDLP lapping plate is great but there is nothing wrong with the D8C and you can buy 8 of them for the price of one GDLP. It is true that stiction can be an issue with the DMT but I lap in the kitchen sink under running water so that takes care of that 95% of the time. The above preferences are mine alone and no reflection on the quality of the stones. A honer who knows his stones , you have to learn whichever stones you use, can get stellar results from any of them.
If you were to try them all, nuances of feedback on the stone and the feel of the edge of the razor would , over time, determine which ones are your particular favorites. Any of them are good for getting the job done. All of these stones were designed to sharpen plane and chisel blades. The pros are 15mm thick and the glass are 5mm. A few years ago when I was in your position, agonizing over which to buy, a vendor in the Northeast told me that Pros were being discontinued because the glass were superior. I had a feeling that was BS because he carried the glass and not the pros. Sure enough, three years later the pros are still for sale on Shapton's website along with the glass. So, they are all good, whichever you select IME. :gl: