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I looking at getting a beginning hone set was just wandering on how these the sets are for user friendly and quality. Here the three i'm looking at: naniwa 5k,8k,12k; shapton 4k,8k,16k; nortan 4k,8k with rockwool strop and. 25 and. 5 micron spray. I'm open to other suggestions too or any combination of these stones.
The "industry standard" starter set is a Norton 4k/8k combination stone.
what is it you want to do? keep your razor sharp or do the whole 9 yards bevel set to finishing. for just keeping your sharp razor sharp the norton 4/8 is the way to go. for setting the bevel get a norton 1000 to go with it and your set
For start out it will be to up keep the shavers I have now then move on to more honeing work like restoring razors. I have read the reviews on all of them and believe I will go with the norton to start then add to that.
I would suggest the Norton set which includes a lapping stone, 220/1000 hone, and 4000/8000 hone. Slightly cheaper than buying them separate and I just honed my first razor from bevel set to shave ready on them. Very straight forward, no tricks needed to get it to work right.
Any that you mentioned will work well for what you want to do with them.
As a fellow beginning honer, a DMT325 has been an absolute lifesaver. Makes things simpler and easier and I really recommend it.
And it is possible to set a bevel on the 4k side of the norton, it just takes quite a bit longer.
one more thing you will need is some way to lap the norton when you get it . either a dmt 325 or you can go the sandpaper on glass. i would get the dmt you are going to lap the norton offen and you can use the dmt to make slurry
It may not be a popular choice but I found it easy to do a full honing on - nevermind finishing - but for yourself it would do as a superb finisher. A BBW is cheap and although slower than its yellow counterpart, still produces a super soft edge from water and is always handy if you moved on too quick from a previous stone and you need to catch up with a quick slurry.
regards Alex
i like the naniwas you'll need a dmt too !
+1 on the DMT D8C (325). You can lap your Norton with it, use it to correct defects (frowns, chips, etc), raise slurry on your stones, and sharpen knives. It is the most used hone I own.
Edge off the naniwa 12k can be sublime. I use it after norton set and it is very nice. IMO the norton 220 stone is of little value. Better off with just a 1k stone than the combo. 220 is too thirsty and soft.
Michael
I agree that the 12k superstone leaves a very nice edge but my advice would be not to get it until you get everything you can out of the 8k. I was in too big a hurry to get a "finisher" and believe it actually slowed my progress down. Work with the stones up to 8k until you have them mastered before adding a finisher.
the norton set is what I am going with. I think it would be a wise choice for what you want to do. I'm just saying this based on what you said. goodluck with it.
I agree with the above. You cannot go wrong with a DMT 325 for chip removal and flattening. A 3 Norton set and a Naniwa 12000 to finish! I also agree that the 220 norton is of little use. Synthetics are very consistant and best to learn on, IMO.
This is one of those areas in straight razor shaving that is almost like politics. A hundred guys would all say different things. I told my girlfriend that if she ever wants to see a real debate just go online, and start a thread stating "Norton is the Best Hone Ever" lol.
Thanks to all the suggestions so far I'm going to keep researching for a few more weeks then decide from there.. my big thought is if I should get a stone above 8k or wait on it. I already have stones up to 4k
What's wrong with starting with the shapton system (4K,8k &.16K). I read it was easier for a beginner to start with.
I'm also new and wants to know.
Either way that's the system I got. So far only use the 8k and 16k to maintain the edge. Double O
I also think the posters here should state if you have experience with all three systems. As how can you recommend a system over the other, for a beginner, if you never used it?
I think that's what the poster is asking, but correct me if I'm wrong!
Double O
I have a Naniwa 1k and its good for beginners, good feedback and gives an edge that you could easily be a 2-3k edge. a naniwa 12k gives really nice edges, soft and sharp and very easy to use. Haven't tried Shaptons at all. The Norton 4k/8k are great workhorse hones but I prefer other stones. I prefer finishing hones to sprays and pastes as a full honing will need to be done eventually because of edge rounding.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bamasmelley
No, your right, but having experience in a few of them is still useful :) They're all pretty user friendly, consistent ways to get an edge so it then comes down to other factors like cost, etc. Finishers? it all comes down to what edge you want to end up with, super soft edge sacrificing sharpness, super sharp edge sacrificing softness or balance of both and how easy it is to get there...Quote:
I also think the posters here should state if you have experience with all three systems. As how can you recommend a system over the other, for a beginner, if you never used it?
I think that's what the poster is asking, but correct me if I'm wrong!
I tried alot before settling on coticules and jnats!
Indeed, a variety is avaliable. The OP was inquiring as to a good beginners set. I think the Nortons are best for learning as they can be soaked without distortion and constant flattening like the Naniwas, which also tend to confuse with the many numbers avaliable. The Shaptons are much more aggressive and costly and lend themselves to more experience. Of course naturals are an entirely different and individual animal. It is hard to get consistant advise on Naturals as they all have individual personalities and must be learned by the user.The poster wants to know recommendations on which to learn. Aso consistancy is key to obtaining advise from others here. IMO the Nortons with the 12000 Naniwa to finish is the best, most economical, and consistant set upon which to learn honing skills, IMHO. Slurry is not an issue with the Nortons for beginning honers, and YES, I have used them all!Quote:
Originally Posted by Double0757
I have honed thousands and thousands of razors on the Norton 4K/8K, the Naniwa Supers and Choseras and the Shapton Glass as well as Shapton Pro, Kityama, Sigma, King and a few other systems. Day in and day out the Norton 4K/8K, the Naniwa Super Stones and the Shapton Glass stones will provide excellent and consistent results. The Naniwa Super 12K and Shapton Glass 16K are excellent finishers. Using pastes or sprays sparingly can also finish a edge very nicely. I love the Chosera 1K for setting bevels. I will use either the Naniwa 220K or Norton 220 for repairs, but the Norton is really aggressive and thirsty as noted. Natural stones are great for the one stone methods and finishing, but maybe not quite as consistent. Still excellent results. You can mix or match any of the systems to what you determine works best for you.
The main thing is to pick out a set and get started. There are tons of stones out there and like with most things everyone has their preferences. The Shapton Glass stones have a harder feeling, but very nice feedback. The Naniwa Super Stones feel a little softer, but have excellent feedback. The Norton 4K/8K are in the middle to me from both a feeling and feedback perspective. The feeling and feedback from the Naturals is all over the place. I actually use the Naniwa Chosera 1K, Norton 4K/8K and either the Naniwa Super Stone 12K or Shapton Glass 16K about 50% of the time in my daily honing.
Have fun.
back in 2008 i started out with the norton 4k/8k, it never did me any harm.. from the synthetic range i would go with defanatley The 1k chosera i realy do like this stone .. 4k'8k .. when you get the max from your 8kb which btw should be pritty darn smooth and comfortable eventualy.. I think i'd be more inclined to get a nice ch12k natural stone
There is some good advice on this forum and thanks to everyone. I should have given a little more info on me for this question. I have used hones a good bit just I stop at the 4k stones. I use them at home and at my job. I think Lynn gave me more of the answer I was looking for in the personally of the stones at the finer levels. I have the technique in of honing I was looking for the quality of the edge from the stones on my shave. But this did turn into a great thread for any beginner new to honing. Which will not only help me but many other people. I'm still deciding on the combination that I want to go with but I have a better understanding now on the different combination of stones.
I don't have any personal honing experience with any synthetic stones other than the Nortons. I started out with nothing more than a DMT-325 and a Norton 4/8 combo with an artificial nagura as a slurry stone. I was hesitant at first about going with the Nortons since the Naniwas and Shaptons seem to get a lot more attention on the forums, but I don't regret my decision at all. If you're going to piecemeal a hone set like I did, most seem to recommend the Chosera 1k as a bevel setter. Otherwise, the Norton starter kit with a DMT-325 is a great way to go.
With all that said, hone preference is just as subjective as every other aspect of this hobby. You won't know what you like until you try them all LOL
I got a set of naniwas super stones from a member on here in the 400, 1k, 5k, 8k, 12k. Received them today and sharped up two razor that were in good shape and shaved witb them before work. I liked the feedback of these stones and the edge was great off the 12k just ran it over the strop as I normally would do before a shave and got a great shave out of both. Did one side of face with one and the otherside with the other one. One of the razors was my wifes grandfathers that has not been used since the 60's. Thanks for all the help from everyoneon here.
If you want some good stones to learn on get a King 1k which is an awesome bevel setter, very smooth and cheaper than it's worth and a Norton 4k/8k. Won't cost you much either, woodcraft.com has the best price on the King 1k and Lie-Nielsen Toolworks USA | Norton Waterstones has the best price and shipping on the norton 4/8.
You only need the essentials when starting so don't buy into everything, you'll learn better/faster with a simple setup.