Thread: First Hones

ok so I want to get a my first hone set to sharpen my razor I was thinkingof getting the Naniwa 3k/8k and the 12k and a lapping stone or just using somesand paper. what do you guys think of this for a beginner

That's not a bad idea.

May I also suggest a Norton 4/8 Combo. Learn to sharpen on the 4 (or the Naniwa 3K), polish on the 8. When you can shave comfortably from your 8K polishing, buy a finisher.

If the blade is sharpened or polished poorly, a finisher will not help rectify it. It will just polish the scratched out of a blade that is not ready.

For lapping, I find that 1k and 1500 WetorDry 3M sandpaper on a flat surface works wonders.

Just my two cents.

I have had the Naniwa's for about a year now.
They are excellent hones for razors.
I used to use the Naniwa lapping stone in 220 Grit on them.
It is cheap, and it works just fine.
As Maxi says, the Norton combi stone is a good economical choice as well!
And do focus on the lower grits until you have that down good. A polisher like the 12K won't do much good on a poorly done bevel.
Good luck!

Those are an excellent choice of hones. They are extremely user friendly compared to the Kings in my opinion, and experienced members here are very familiar with them, so if you run into any problems it will be easier to advise you than if you were using Belgian hones, or a lesser known artificial system.

They are very soft and do require lapping. I do so before each use with a DMT 325.

I will add that I think it is better to learn how to touch up (maintain) a razor before learning to bevel set and sharpen, but if you're confident in your stroke go ahead.