Thread: naniwa combo vs norton combo

Been about a year since I've shaved with my straights... at some point the chromium oxide pasted strop just wasn't cutting it any more. I've put off getting a hone long enough, I think.

I was originally going to go with the norton 4000/8000 combo stone. Probably the most highly suggested stone for beginners, and it seems versatile enough for my needs. Straight Razor Designs also carries a naniwa 3000/8000 combo. Any input on that stone? My guess is that, if anything, they're about the same, or close enough, that the naniwa isn't worth the extra bump in price.

I was also considering the Naniwa value pack (5000/8000/12000), but they seem to be out of stock, and haven't seen a similar deal elsewhere... So, the Norton for now should be goood, and I'll pick up something like one of those shapton 12k numbers later.

I don't believe I'll need anything lower than 4k-5k... these razors were bought shave ready, and worked for a while just with the chrome oxide. My understanding is that anything lower for bevel setting is really for restoring old and neglected razors.

For lapping... is there really any reason to consider anything else besides the DMT 8? From what I can gather: it doesn't need to be lapped (please correct if this isn't right) and would work on all the stones I'm considering.

Damn... after writing all this, I'm about as excited as when I first got my straights. Can't wait.

Doesn't matter what stones you buy.....lap 'em. Make sure YOU know they're flat....that's what counts.

I'd go with the Norton's. That's my two cents.

They are easy to use, versatile with slurry, aaaaannnnddd.....you can get a really nice comfortable edge off the 8k....which is what you should be doing before you add a 12k into your variables.

I don't have a DMT yet, I lap with a glass plate (from a stained glass store) and 3M wet/dry paper.....however, I hear that they're the cat's meow.

gurana,

Either of the Naniwa 3/8 or Norton 4/8 will give you good results; personally I would go for the Naniwa

++1 on the DMT 325C - I used to use silicon carbide (SiC) paper on glass, but found the DMT is so much easier and cleaner to use.

It works well as a slurry raiser as well. It also leaves a much finer finish on the stones than the 'grit' number would indicate. Visually it leaves a 'shinier' surface on my stones than does 600 'grit' SiC paper.

Good luck !

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

Either one should serve you well. The Norton is a "harder" hone than the Naniwa SS so it really boils down to what you prefer. The DMT 325 is nice to have but not necessary. The sandpaper method has served many of us very well for a long time.

Hope this helps,

I'll chip in with my reasons for going with a norton over naniwas for the main honing progression (i have a naniwa 12k). These are purely from the point of view when, having neither, i was about to buy.

Wasn't able to easily obtain naniwa combos in the uk (may not be the case where you are), I've heard that the naniwas dish a lot faster, i read some where that lapping them after every session or razorr wasn't unusual, and that they're really thirsty stones despite being advertised as not needing soaking. The naniwas we have here are the bench stones and are single grits whereas the norton combos came in a kit and where much cheaper.

Apparently the naniwas give a smoother finish and are faster cutters, but the nortons are a proven classic that everyone has owned. i figured that i wasn't going to be good enough for a long time to really appreciate or tak advantage of the differences in finish, that i would be better of getting a lower maintenance stone (that being said, i do tend to give my nortons a quick few circles to clean them off, most days before using them).

so in summary (and please note, purely IMO and having no prior experience with either)

The finish on the superstones is smoother, but the norton apparently isn't far behind
the nortons needed much less maintainence
nortons seemed to be the industry standard so to speak
a set of (single grit) superstones would have cost more

I find my nortons just grand, they do the job they were intended to do well, but am sure i would have been equally happy had i got a set of superstone combos.

I don't know about the lower grit superstones, but the 12k gives quite a lot of feedback, quite a "draggy" or "sticky" stone, where as the nortons are quite a light feedback, which i would say i prefer, but having no experience of the main progression superstones maybe saying "i've become accustomed to" is more accurate.

I had both - the Norton 8k is (gritwise) seemed to be more like a Naniwas SS 5k (I had one of those to compare to).
The Norton 8k seemed 'gummy' feeling in use.. the 4k was 'gritty' feeling. I prefered to hone on the Naniwa stones because they had a silkier feel, but they did swarf up more than I liked.
At the end of the day - both the Norton and the Naniwa were fine stones to hone on. But - the 8k Norton didn't get me where I wanted to be edgewise. Yet - I could just about shave comfortably right off the Naniwa 8k.
If I remember - the Naniwa is longer.. maybe a little less wide... which I also liked more.
Lapping - I prefer the duosharp 220/325 plate with the interrupted surface. Costs more, but it is less prone to sticking to the stone.

I read somewhere that the norton 8k grit size is about 3 micron putting it on the JIIS scale at around 4k just for the record.

Both will get you at more or less the same place, the difference is mainly in the feedback. I have both (actually the 1-5-8-12 naniwa) but I don't really use the norton since I've got the naniwas. I don't like the porosity of the norton 4k, and that's pretty much my reason - just a matter of a whim which I can afford to have. The dmtc is nice, I have no regrets about getting it even though it's kind of expensive compared to say sandpaper or the norton lapping plate.

Originally Posted by Memorael

I read somewhere that the norton 8k grit size is about 3 micron putting it on the JIIS scale at around 4k just for the record.

I do not think that is accurate.

In my honing adventures, the 8k Norton and 8k Super Stone did not bring a blade to the same place. In fact I used the 8k Naniwa to finish after the 8k Norton until I got a 12k.
I'm not certain about particle size of either - grit alone doesn't tell the whole story. I compared the 8k Norton to the 5k SS after maxing out the same blade on each a couple of times.