Thread: What finishing stone for a beginner?

I know this has been asked before but I want some current advice. I have a Norton 4k/8k, and need to get a finishing stone. I am very inexperienced at honing, so in your opinion, what is the more forgiving finishing stone out of the following?

Coticule vs. Chinese finishing stone vs. a Japanese 12k stone?

Originally Posted by supersco

I know this has been asked before but I want some current advice. I have a Norton 4k/8k, and need to get a finishing stone. I am very inexperienced at honing, so in your opinion, what is the more forgiving finishing stone out of the following?

Coticule vs. Chinese finishing stone vs. a Japanese 12k stone?

Until you can get a perfectly smooth shave off the Norton 8k alone, any of the finishing stones would be a total waste of time and money

Any recommendation about those 3 stones are but personal opinion, so it really doesn't matter between the three at this point in time ...

Later on, you can choose any of them, or all of them, as they all work quite well after the Norton 8k

I started with the Norton set. I would suggest the Naniwa 12k SS. The one thing I would suggest is that you make sure the razor is shaving well off the Norton 8k before you move to the finisher. I have been honing for a little over a year now and still test shave after the 8k before moving on. In my limited experience if it doesn't shave comfortably off the 8k the finisher won't do much for you.

I should point out that at this point I'm just looking to touch-up the edge, not set a bevel or anything. Does that make a difference in recommendations?

Originally Posted by supersco

I should point out that at this point I'm just looking to touch-up the edge, not set a bevel or anything. Does that make a difference in recommendations?

All three of those would work for touch ups as would a simple barber's hone or pasted strop.

I think Glen’s comments are spot on. When I first started I bought a complete set of hones, including a finisher. But I discovered that there were too many variables to digest all at once and my progress was slow, laborious, and frustrating at times. My honing skills really didn’t start to solidify until I put the finisher away and focused exclusively on the Nortons.

I also agree w/ Glen about the 8k.

After that, I'd recommend the Naniwa 12k over your other possibilities. I think it's the best choice because: 1) Quality is consistent. Your N12k will behave like everyone else's. Not all coticules are good finishers, nor are all PHIGs. 2) The N12k is a nice big hone, same dimensions as your Norton. A coticule that big, if you could even find one, would cost many hundreds of dollars. 3) The N12k needs no soaking, no slurry, and works very fast for as fine as it is. Just moisten the surface and go. 4) It's easy to lap. So are coticules, but PHIGs can be an ordeal.

Best wishes.

The 8K you already have. You need to experience getting the razor to it's best edge using the 4k/8k. If you don't have the best edge a finisher will only be polishing the bevel and the edge will not be any better off. When I started straight shaving a few years ago the 8k was considered the finishing hone and I got a lot of nice shaves off of it. I doubt I would like going back to the 8k as a finisher but it did take a bit of time for me to learn that I needed to go further on the 8k before I hit the finishing hone. If you have money to burn and the patients of a saint have at it and get a coticule, C12k, Escher or other finisher but I would wait until I got really good shaves off the 8k hone first. Good luck.

So the consensus seems to be stick with the 8K? Will the 8K be enough for just touch ups? Barber hones seem to be pretty cheap and now am wondering about them too....

There's a Woodcraft store on Bethel Rd in Columbus. They carry nicely finished C12k's for $23.00. They're a perfectly nice start, and slow enough to be very forgiving.