Thread: Naniwa 12k vs Sigma 13k

ok gents, I have nani 12k, and drooling on sigma 13k, so I need some comments if someone have tried them both.

I have not tried the Sigma 13k, so take what I say for what it is worth
There are very small chanses that the 1k difference will make any noticeable difference per se.
The Naniwa 12k is a great finisher, perhaps you should look into a Natural finisher or a Shapton 30K?

Originally Posted by Birnando

I have not tried the Sigma 13k, so take what I say for what it is worth
There are very small chanses that the 1k difference will make any noticeable difference per se.
The Naniwa 12k is a great finisher, perhaps you should look into a Natural finisher or a Shapton 30K?

Cmon, you should know that grit is not everything. Binder, abresive types, hardness are other important things too. Two different branded 12k synthetic can be very different. Anyway, I have read some comments that sigma 13k puts nani 12 to a shame. I find nani 12k so so, looking for a better mirror polisher. Charnley forests are expensive than gold and I dont think shapton is a sensible option but will definetely go for some jnats in future. But for the time I really need some review about sigma. That stone looks promising.

I have also not used the 13K ceramic Sigma, but have been in discussions about it with someone who uses one. According to them the 13K produces an edge that is as fine or perhaps finer than the Shapton 16K ceramic on glass. Apparently the micron rating is smaller for the Sigma (0.94 for Shapton, 0.74 for the Sigma). Apparently the Sigma also releases some grit (makes slurry) more easily than the Shapton 16K GS, but is controllable.

Please note that this is second-hand information - I have not used the stone myself but am seriously considering trying it if my experiments into the other Sigma stones I am ordering work out.

James.

I have one. (the sigma power 13k).

I had a naniwa superstone 12k, but sold it before I got into straight razor shaving - at least before I got into it on a daily basis and knew what I was doing. I sold it because it's a little bit of a wheezer in tough tool steels that a woodworker might use.

Still have a shapton pro 15k, a chosera 10k, a chinese stone (from woodcraft - it's a good one), a pile of japanese stones, including two razor specific asagis (one a fabulous buttery antique), the kitayama 8k (or whatever number they call it now), and some others, but you get the point.

I've tried the GS 16ks (two of them, the two different types) and used the 30k on tools (not razors).

I horse-traded with Stu Tierney (we've sort of known each other since before he had a store) and ended up with a 13k in exchange for some wares, like a DMT, a bunch of loose diamonds and some other razory stuff (I suppose that's a disclaimer that I didn't directly pay for my stone, but got it in that exchange at a time when I was actually buying other stones from Stu).

Anyway, to the meat of the comment - it releases just a bit of mud, but not a lot. It's not soft, it's not hard. On tools, it reminds me of the feel of a king stone, but without being so soft - it has that smoothness in use, though. It is my favorite synthetic stone for razors, it is not as brash on the edge as the chosera and shapton and does a good job for sharpness (to extend the comments from above posts - you can't go by number, it's clearly finer in use than shaptons 15k pro stone and 16K GS).

I think anyone who would like any synthetic stone will like it on razors. My face will not tolerate most synthetic stones, and I like to go straight from stone to bare strop, but I don't recall having any irritation straight off of it with a bit of stropping. I know I've made my face red with the chosera (which I think is just a bit to aggressive for razors for me) and with the shapton.

I'd also say that the sigma is less critical about water than the shapton (it can do pleasant things with all levels right up until right before it dries off), and it doesn't load (my shapton pro stone will load a bit with some razors, leaving me to have to lap it if the loading looks like it might be scratching the edge - I really don't like to abrade the surface of a finish stone right before I'm done with an edge).

If you have 50 hones already, I don't know if it's going to give you anything that you can't get in combination from other hones, but it is definitely finer than the shapton pro 15k and the 16k glass, and while I like the chosera a little better for tools (because it cuts so fast), I like the SP 13 the most for razors and i like the feel it has with a razor on it - it's got a bit of draw, but a pleasing smooth draw (like a smooth mud feeling), not an aggressive biting draw.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Please note that this is second-hand information - I have not used the stone myself but am seriously considering trying it if my experiments into the other Sigma stones I am ordering work out.

James.

Which other stones did you order? The feedback from everyone on the woodworking sites has been entirely favorable for the SPs. I'm set in my ways with shaptons and a gaggle of natural stones, but the two SPs I've tried have been nice stones and I can get along very well with them.

Originally Posted by DaveW

Which other stones did you order? The feedback from everyone on the woodworking sites has been entirely favorable for the SPs. I'm set in my ways with shaptons and a gaggle of natural stones, but the two SPs I've tried have been nice stones and I can get along very well with them.

I ordered the 1K/10K SP Select II set with holders from Stu. They just arrived this morning and I am looking at them as I type. I'm looking forward to trying them out to see what I can get out of them. There's been the suggestion that these stones release too many particles that can bump around on the edge. I want to see if that is the case, and if it is whether there are ways to compensate.

James.

Originally Posted by Ozgun

Cmon, you should know that grit is not everything. Binder, abresive types, hardness are other important things too. Two different branded 12k synthetic can be very different. Anyway, I have read some comments that sigma 13k puts nani 12 to a shame. I find nani 12k so so, looking for a better mirror polisher. Charnley forests are expensive than gold and I dont think shapton is a sensible option but will definetely go for some jnats in future. But for the time I really need some review about sigma. That stone looks promising.

Goodness, you certainly seem to know what's going on. Tell me, why is Shapton less sensible than buying a Sigma, with no reviews to speak of?

Originally Posted by JimR

Goodness, you certainly seem to know what's going on. Tell me, why is Shapton less sensible than buying a Sigma, with no reviews to speak of?

Because I have nani 12, and in abrasive sizes its kinda like a 20k shapton. So no need to have 16 shapton. Then the 30k stone is very expensive but in nearly every review its commented as a harsh and not comfortable stone to shave. With that kind of money I could buy a charnley forest or maybe even an escher or a jnat which I read very nice reviews about them. Because of this I think shaptons are not much sensible in my situation.

Originally Posted by Ozgun

ok gents, I have nani 12k, and drooling on sigma 13k, so I need some comments if someone have tried them both.

Replying to the original post....
If you have a nani 12k you have a wonderful hone.
If you have a sigma 13k you have a wonderful hone.

If you are in the business like Lynn you need to compare and contrast the two
and will have the touch and experience to make the comparison.
Most of use do not need both... I for one do not need both but I do have them.

If you do not have either I would give a slight nod to the sigma
but they are close enough to equal that the difference for me
is greater in my day to day strop work not the hone.

I am discussing the hone in isolation... I have seen sets of hones
where the discount for the set is a very big incentive.

Ask again in a year.