Thread: new honing

After I spend some time getting to know how to use my razor, I was thinking about learning to hone. I have read alot and watched a bunch of videos. I have a couple of questions concerning hones. Here is what I think I will get to start

1000k for bevels norton or king
4/8k norton or 3/8 naniwa
1200k naniwa for finishing.
DMT 325 or whatever for lapping.

is the 3/8 naniwa going to be the same as the 4/8 norton in terms of using it in the pyramid method ? and If I use the 4/8 norton will the 1200k naniwa be a good finisher ?

any help would be appreciated

All those stones are of good quality.
The DMT for lapping is a good choice, a lot of people uses that thing for their flattening needs.
I think you will be able to use any of those hones, and after some practice, get good results.

If I were to choose my set with the stones you mention, I would go for the Naniwa's.
Nothing wrong with the Norton's, but I tend to look at the various producers offerings as honing systems.
I always use the same type/brand all the way from bevel set and up to polishing.

I think that initially you want to ask yourself what you want out of honing. If you just want to maintain your razors then initially a finishing stone such as the Naniwa 12K you mention would be all you need initially. You won't need to re-set the bevel to start with just touch it up from time to time.

However if you want to restore old razors the set up you describe will very adequately take a dull blade to being shave ready. A DMT to flatten the stone is nice but equally some wet and dry paper and a nice flat surface such as a marble tile or piece of plate glass will work equally well.

I don't own any of the stones you mention but one advantage the Norton has is that so many people use it there will always be someone about with experience of it willing to pitch in. I also think from what I have read that the Norton is probably more stable (less likely to warp) so would need less lapping.

The thing with honing is there aren't really rights and wrongs, but sometimes there are bests and worsts.

I'm probably not far ahead of you with regards honing, but my limited experience as a begginer may be pertinent to your situation.

I purchased the Value Pack of naniwas from SRD. This consists of a 5000, 8000 and a 12000.

I used the 12000 once initially to refresh an edge, with very good results. More recently I used the 5000 and 8000 with 2 razors, following the Pyramid Honing guide in the Wiki, then finished them on the 12000.

In both cases I had excellent results by just following the guide from 15 laps down.

I should also add that I purchased a DMT 325 for lapping.

tcadien,

You've listed an ideal start-to-finish collection. My core honing collection is a DMT325, nameless 1k/6k, Norton 4/8k, and Naniwa12k. As Jeltz points out, all you need at the start is the 12k and a way to lap it. I think the folks who are disciplined enough to just get a touch-up hone and use it properly and exclusively are a minority here. For me, the honing is as cool as the shaving, and I had to have the complete setup so I could have the experience of fully creating that amazing edge.

You should also start practicing on something other than the blade you depend on for your daily shave, since it is possible to do more harm than good when you start out. Get a $30.00 vintage blade from whippeddog, or something similarly priced if it shows up on our Classifieds. Don't mess with Ebay or any brand-new razor that costs $30.00; you're likely to end up with a blade that the best among us couldn't get to shave well. Review the Razors to Avoid Wiki, and look at the honing info there if you haven't already. From your sensible shopping list, I'm guessing you've done some research.

The 12k would be a great touch-up hone, and is a very nice final polisher (or a great prequel to some of the superfine natural hones). However, I've read a lot of positive posts from people who heeded the advice to limit themselves to the 8k level when learning to hone, and not move on to higher grits until they can consistently get nice shaving edges at 8k. That takes a light touch, and without that light touch and good 8k edge you're probably not getting any benefit from higher grits anyway.

Good luck with your progress! It's nice to see your thoughtful enthusiasm.

Good advice re learning on a "spare" razor. Personally I would (did) buy a cheap one ebay then proceed to make all my honing mistakes on that one. It is now part of my rotation now that I have learned how to put a decent edge on one.

Roughkye is right with everything he says, but listen especially to his (and others) comments about starting with just a 12k. I jumped in feet first and it was a total headbender for a while until i figured out what was what. Just buying a 12k will allow you to get the honing strokes down without doing too much damage to a razor, teach you about pressure (as in lack off) etc etc then move down to a combo 4k/8k, put the 12k away and see what you can get out of the 8k.

Originally Posted by tekbow

Roughkye is right with everything he says, but listen especially to his (and others) comments about starting with just a 12k. I jumped in feet first and it was a total headbender for a while until i figured out what was what. Just buying a 12k will allow you to get the honing strokes down without doing too much damage to a razor, teach you about pressure (as in lack off) etc etc then move down to a combo 4k/8k, put the 12k away and see what you can get out of the 8k.

Yes....yes....I like this.

Definitely learn your 8K. I've got two razors that are honed up to the 8, and that's it. I like the way they both feel. I do believe that you get can get a very comfortable edge with an 8k. Using the 12 in the beginning to teach your strokes and minimize damage is a good call, the put it in the closet.

Yeah, learn to finish an edge before plunging on the rest (unless money is no object). It'll save you a lot of money.