Printable View
What do you think would be the best finishing stone for a new guy
It would be nice to hear a few different opinions
any thoughts on a slurry stone would be apprecaited to
Has anybody had experience with the chinese stones I see on ebay
They are labeled finishing stones but they usually have a very reasonable price
I read some of the reviews of the chinese 12K, but im not sure if they are the same thing
I'm happy with the Naniwa SS 12K for finishing and for touch-ups.
The Chinese natural stones are a very good option, but they require some experience. If you don't have any, I would suggest something like a naniwa 12k (the naniwa super stones are quite cheap compared to the other synthetics) , sigma select 13k (a very good choice, but costs), shapton 10 or 12 or 15k etc etc. For a finishing stone, you don't really need a slurry stone, just plain water. But to answer your question, any high grit, hard stone will do the job, be that a coticule, a C12k or even a small piece of translucent arkansas. Many people prefer the norton 4k-8k combo. There are also the barber hones. Personally, the Chinese 12k stone is one of my favorites. Do you have a leather strop with any fine abrasive pastes or sprays or something like that? For a razor that doesn't quite feel as fine as it was when you first tried it, it might not need honing right now. A little stropping might be enough.
Being as you asked for best I would say to go with either the Naniwa SS 12K, Shapton Glass 16K or Sigma 13K. These are the most consistent finishing and refreshing stones available in my opinion.
Keep in mind that there is a lot of personal preference in "Best".
Have fun,
Lynn
Best stone for a new guy could well be the best stone for an experienced guy. However as a new guy you may do better with a slightly soft stone.Quote:
Originally Posted by Quist
The Naniwa 12k that Lynn mentioned jumps to mind as a good fit.
The inconsistency of the Chinese stones or C12k's hardly rates them as best only cheap.
If you buy a synthetic finisher don't worry about a slurry stone. You can make slurry every time you lap.
Any stone 8k or above can be a finisher. Choice is yours really, based on your needs. Now what do you need:hmmm:
Stay tuned you'll get more opinions, fo sho. :)
The finishers I bought and used in a chronological sequence: C12k, cotis, Naniwa 12k, Escher, thuri, Jnat, Shapton 12k, and various slate types in between these. If I were to buy only one as a beginner, it would be the naniwa no doubt. Fast, soft, big, relatively cheap, and very consistent, for me it was also the easiest to use out of all of the above.
Question: what are you using before the finishing stone? That could make a big difference. For instance, if using a DMT 8000 (D8EE) prior then a coticule or shapton 16k/30k would do you well. In my experience, finishing is a matter of price. I just don't get consistent results from the Chinese stones and for that reason, they sit on my shelf alone and unused. If money is an issue, go with a Norton 8k after the 4k, a Shapton 8k, one of the Naniwas mentioned above, a TPE White, or even one of the pressure sensitive 3M films on glass. Film finishing can be a bit tricky but when everything goes right you can get excellent results. You'll hear a lot of advice on this topic and one thing that's true is that there are a lot of ways to sharp! Have fun experimenting!
I have the Norton 1K 4K & 8K
I just straight razor shaved for the first time last night
I semi-restored, honed, stropped and shaved with a razor from ebay
although i dont think the razor was as sharp as it was supposed to be
Hot towel , Van Der hagen, shave, sample of Loyds after shave lotion
I think asking that question in this forum is like asking "which razor gives the best shave?"..... It really is based on the individual.. Saying that, I have a couple finishers, but I like my Thuringian as a finisher..But, I am not a honemeister... I just like the feedback of the stone.
I, myself, after 8 or 10K level synthetics like to use a natural stone to finish as it feels nicer to my skin. I used to use a Naniwa 12K but didn't like the edges after a while. There's naturals like: Coticules (although expensive now), Chinese12K/PHIG, old Thuringians you can find on ebay, etc. The chinese 12K stone can vary a lot it is a natural and from what I've read some are great some are not.
You can also go the easy route of just using a high grit paste like Chromium oxide on a strop after 8K-10K hones.
The biggest question is, how are your shaves after an 8K level honing? Great, ok, subpar?
For someone new I would probably recommend a synthetic such as a Naniwa 10 or 12K.
In regards to "best".... well you are likely to get a dozen guys giving you a dozen different answers. For instance, I pretty much do all my honing on naturals and prefer a vintage thuringian 9 times out of 10 for my favorite finisher.
I don't own a naniwa, but have shaved from them and they leave a very nice edge. Being a synthetic, they will probably be easier to get the hang of for someone beginning than a natural where they can vary in properties from stone to stone.
The best finishing stone for anyone (new or old-hand) is the one you can afford to buy and learn how to use effectively.
James.
This. Choose one and learn how to use it. What you learn can be applied , or at least help, with any of the others. What Lynn said about personal preference is key (IMHO).Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimbo
I found the Naniwa 12k affordable and easy to learn. It's also fairly fast for as fine as it is.
wow you just started shaving with a straight and starting to hone at the same time. stick with the 8k until you learn how to max out that 8k. a finisher will do you no good if your not getting all you can out of your 8k.Quote:
Originally Posted by Quist
I have a mystery coarser stone and a norton bench hone. Both have been around for a while. Only needed them the 1st time around. Then 4k and 8k Kings. I asked for a 12k for Christmas. I think I am ready for a 12k as I get good shaves from the 8k.
Jeff
This might be an example of the inconsistancy of Chinese stones :shrug:I've only used the one. I bought a batch of stones that included one, based on other stones I've used I'm guessing it's 12k-13k'ish. It's a perfectly decent stone but I find it incredibly hard & slow (I normally finish on a Thuringian). I really enjoy honing but there's no way I'd jump from an 8k to this stone, life's just to short.
I my self am new to this forum. I started using a straight razor almost a year ago now. I read somewhere that once u'll try it u'll never go back...let me tell you..thing scared me a bit that first month..
N e ways..
Being cheap thinking I might go back to the ol fusion, I got myself the cheap chinese 12k. Paid something like 15 bucks or so...and with lots of practice. I can honestly tell you I can get my razors to pass the hanging hair test.. I later read somewhere that these stones can be very inconsistent. Some kicking serious :soapbox:, n others not so much...guess I got lucky here..now I'm into it 5 razors and still using my chinese 12k...I say try your luck on one of these. can't go wrong with 15 bucks... unless you plan on spending a good amount of cash for a name brand stone..
P.S. ol Fusion can jiggle these now
New or old, I'd recommend a Coticule on water, since you're already using the Norton 4K/8K. It doesn't matter which speed you get, it should leave a keen and mellow edge. You don't need a big 8x3, you can get a nice 40x125mm or 40x150mm for under $100 (look at some bouts for around $60). It's splash and go, easy to transport, and known for providing skin friendly edges.
I'd choose this option over going to CrOx or CBN.
"Best" and "Favorite" are probably almost interchangeable here. haha Obviously, ease of use is going to be some kind of synthetic, because they're pretty much guaranteed consistency and you can get a big friggin' 8x3 stone that's a little easier to use for some people than a small one. That being said, my favorite is my Lynn Idwal. Mine's only about an inch and a half wide, but if you take your time, it doesn't matter if the whole blade is on the stone all the time. And for that matter, I think it makes smiling blades actually easier to hone. I like natural stones better, but I couldn't for the life of me tell you why. At the end of the day, they all do pretty much the same thing, and you'll find seven different people with fourteen different "best" stones, so it'll end up being your personal preference.... and let's be honest, within a year you'll have at least three finishers, because those things are like crack.