Thread: Which brand do you prefer?

In the middle

Assuming I am not running the full progression Naniwa SS or the Full progression Shapton GS

Then I am going to finish on a Natural stone, and I m going to either of the standards, Norton 4/8 or Naniwa 3/8 both of those give me a shave ready edge, that I can take to whatever Natural finisher I think the razor is calling for...

One of these days I am going to pick up the 4000 and 8000 King's just to try them as I really like the 1000 from them..

. For bevel setting I like the Chosera 1K. It's a sloppy stone. That green crap gets everywhere, escpecially uner the fingernails. The Kings, Nortons and Shaptons are not as messy. After 1K I go to the naturals. pow zoom.
MIke

I am a beginner to honing and have just completed bevel set on 12 razors, not having set a final edge on any yet as I am waiting for Robert to give me some feedback on my bevels. I have the Norton 220/1k and 4/8k and the naniwa 12k. I have a norton lapping stone and just ordered the DMT8c since I hear so much about it on this site (does this make my norton redundant?). I have a SRD english bridal strop that has some of SRD green chrome stick on the nylon webbing and nothing on the leather side. I have a few super nice japanese kaniyama strops I use for my daily stropping, they have a velvety leather piece and a more polished waxy leather piece.

Question I have is what is the difference between synthetics like norton and natural stones? People seem to finish using naturals, would that come after the 12k naniwa? Would someone recommend for me the right natural stone to follow the 12k that would make stropping on the chrome rubbed webbing redundant? I would prefer to finish it up on a stone instead of the chromed webbing and then go straight to the velvet side of my japanese strop. I am looking for the smoothest shave possible.

Naniwa Superstones, 400, 1000, 5000 and 10000. Splash 'n' go, and the 400 is as nice a bevel setter as you'd want.

Originally Posted by groovyd

Question I have is what is the difference between synthetics like norton and natural stones? Several hundred dollars ... & of course a much finer stone. Do you really need one ? ... Your choice.
People seem to finish using naturals, would that come after the 12k naniwa? It can. It really depends on the stone.

Would someone recommend for me the right natural stone to follow the 12k that would make stropping on the chrome rubbed webbing redundant? I would prefer to finish it up on a stone instead of the chromed webbing and then go straight to the velvet side of my japanese strop. I am looking for the smoothest shave possible. This is a question for the seller you choose to buy the stone from. As you will likely be spending considerable money, the stone should also come with a money back guarantee. To be fair to the seller tho, you should also have the skill to use said stone.

As you are a beginner I'd recommend establishing a baseline on 8 k & then 12 k before investing in an expensive finisher. Get the best of those 2 stones first then move up. The difference may be only 1 or 2 % but it is what many of us chase.

Appreciate the feedback, sounds like I will do just fine for my first thousand honings without a natural.

My preferred rock is a fast coti, though the combined result of my skills and my stone only get the keenness to a low-mid 8k level of keenness. Not all blades respond evenly (or I don't work them evenly), and if I have to fuss too much, I reach for the Nani 8k.

If cotis were as consistent as the synthetics - or you have either the funds to buy and sell a bunch to find the golden rock, or the fortune to get one you instantly work well with - they would be hard to beat.

After Chosera 1K I tend to stay with whatever system I am working with, finished with a natural. One of these days I want to give the Chosera system a dance.

I have never thought of my hones in terms of favorites. They are just tools, a means to an end. At any moment in time I guess I like the hones that performs best with the razor I am honing and allow me to get the most out of the steel.

I like the shapton pro series hones