I want to start keeping my razors in shave ready shape. What hone should I buy first ?
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I want to start keeping my razors in shave ready shape. What hone should I buy first ?
Kind of depends on how much money you want to spend and how much your razors need to be honed. Check out the wiki.
Short story: Norton 4k / 8k combo stone is a great deal. Then you can finish with chromium oxide on balsa or a strop.
+1 Min, right on the money. You can get a cheap barbers hone for maintenance, but the 4/8k combo stone is great for not only maintenance, but for overall honing as well.
You will find the 8k side will keep an edge in excellent shave, but if it gets too bad, a couple of passes on the 4k will refresh it, then polish it up on the 8k side, and use the CrOx paddles, or Diamond paddles to polish the edge even further for a more comfortable shave. You can get a CrOx paddle strop very cheaply, or a diamond paddles strop as well. Used together they can keep an edge polished for a very long time before your razor requires re-honing.
Hope this helps!!
M
if your blades are shave ready now, get a finishing hone, 12k or 16k synthetic, or a barber's hone.
When the razor needs a touch up, do a few light strokes strop and if everything is done correctly you should be able to keep your razors in good shaving condition for a long time.
You guy make it sound easy. Is it really ?
Hi Cannis, yes it is pretty easy. You don't need a lot of equipment just to keep a razor sharp. If you have a professionally sharpened razor it is relatively simple to keep it sharp. Read up on some of the Wiki's for honing information and how to make strokes on a barbers hone, which is what I suggest you get for a previously sharpened razor.
Getting to strop consistently will keep a razor sharp for a very long time without any honing help. A good strop is essential.
A good barber hone, like a swaty or an anchor or 1 of many brands made back in the day will help re-shape a dulling razors edge with very little effort, say 5 or 6 laps only to refine the edge back to good shave-able condition. again, stropping is essential, canvas and leather, felt and leather, etc..
A Norton 4/8k combo stone can be used to re-hone a razor completely by resetting the bevel and then polishing. A good finishing stone (like any good synthetic, or a cheap Chinese Guanxi (sp?) hone will put an additional polish on an edge, which I think makes the shave a little gentler or smoother. Again, this is all personal opinion, and YMMV, as what works for me, may or may not, work for you. I have to quantify all statements with that as there are always more than one way to do things.
If you want more info on razor maintenance, read up in the Wiki's here. There is an amazing lot of information in there.
Also, barbers hones are easy to come by, as are diamond paddles and CrOx paddles for polishing and refreshing a razor. If you want recommendations of where to buy, just ask.
If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask as I and a ton of others here will be glad to provide whatever information possible.
Good luck, and have FUN!! that is the bottom line.
Mike
I'd start with a Naniwa 12k. Serves the purpose a barbers hone serves and also as a finishing stone once you start doing more extensive honing work. Also will allow you to get the hang of honing strokes without causing too much hone wear to any of your blades. Once you go past that and want to say, bring back a chipped or out of service blade, you'll have your honing strokes down and be ready for a 4k/8k.
When this happens put your 12k away until you can get a good shaving edge with the 8k. The reason i say this is that, in the case of restoring an edge (Bevel reset through to polishing) you won't get any benefit out of the 12k until you learned to do all you can with the 8k. I wish to god i'd done this when i started out honing, would have saves a lot of confusion. I jumped straight in with all of them, full set of nortons + a 12k Nani and was doggy paddling for about 6 weeks. No need to rush, a little learned at a time is a foundation skill learned well.
I concur that the standard should be a Norton 4/8K and a Naniwa 12K. With these 2 stones, you can do anything short of restoration. Yes you'll have to lap them. I used wet/dry 300 grit sandpaper on the backside of a glass mirror. Wet everything and go easy with the lapping. That Nani 12K will give you a s-m-o-o-o-t-h edge!
Yup.Quote:
Originally Posted by Blberger
Hone Lapping 101 - Straight Razor Place Wiki
This is exactly the method I use with my hone since my favourite vendor doesn't have a DMT stone in yet for me to buy. OP - The weight of the hone is enough, I just did some figure-8's with no pressure and it came out beautifully flat after about 15-20 seconds.Quote:
Originally Posted by onimaru55
It's easier to devise a grit progression when using all the same type of stones but as there are no finer stones in the Norton line up past 8k any polisher would work.
Hard for me to answer as I have very little experience with those 2 brands. I started with Kings when Nortons were all the rage, then moved to Shaptons. :)
From the amount of guys that use Nortons & Naniwa I'd guess quality & results are not an issue.
Is the 12K Shapton pro stone a reasonable finisher for a begginer like me? I am currently using the 4/8K norton to get a shave ready edge. When I get good edges that is my next stone to add to my arsenal!Quote:
Originally Posted by onimaru55
I really hope you say "yes, great stone to use Mav" because I already bought one!! LOL
"Great stone to use Mav as I already bought one" :)
Funny that, how did you know I bought one :p
Seriously tho. The pro's need a light, educated hand as they are pretty hard n, fast but they are my go to stone in synthetics now.
I have both, used both extensively, and they are both very nice, buy the one you can get cheaper, or you like more. If you feel like it is better to stay with one brand, than feel free to do so, the nanis are very nice hones. Both stones will do the same job, in about the same amount of time. The norton 4k side has to be soaked, but the nani needs more frequent lapping and cleaning, take this into account and choose the one which suits you more. I liked the nanis better in the beginning because of their feel while honing, after that I liked the nortons more because of less maintenance. They are both really good stones, none is better than the other, just different. Both stones will be equally good from a results standpoint before the 12k.Quote:
Originally Posted by Blberger
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