Thread: Learning

Looking to get a Naniwa superstone, but not sure what to get.. I just want something to touch up the razor..I have heard 8 , 10 or 12 ... Also someone said go to a barber hone..So looking for some advice... I am just a beginner to honing... Looking forward to some suggestions :-)

Jim

I use a barber hone 95% of the time. A very few of my razors also like Dovo black paste on a leather paddle added-in. Haven't tried the Naniwa yet.

The Naniwa 12K is excellent for touching up an edge.

I would go with a 10 or 12k naniwa. the 10k can be found for £40 the 12k for £60. Easy stones to hone on and produce very nice edges.

But Barbers hones are also equally effective. comes down to pricing really, you might find a barbers hone on ebay for cheap, but they're usually smaller. Just means you need to get used to a smaller stone, which is a trouble for some, but its not that difficult to get used to.

On the budget side of things; a BBW is a nice finishing hone for relatively cheap and chinese 12k stones are cheap, very capable finishers - they can sometimes be slow though. I sometimes finish with my BBW hone its a good finisher. Both being naturals the Naniwa offers better consistency in performance.

the barber hone is a great and affordable idea. In my personal experience though, sometimes the small size is difficult for me to use. But a decent barber's hone is so cheap that you could conceivably get both and see what you like. If you find you don't like one, someone here will buy it out of the classifieds.

I think any one of the naniwas that you mention will work. If your razor was honed by another member, then my guess is that he finished your razor with something closer to 12 before stropping. The 12k stone, when used properly will produce a wonderful edge. I have the 12k SS and I like it very much.

If you think that you want to do more honing in the future, then it might be worth getting a combo hone now instead of just a finishing hone. That way you get two grit sizes without having to buy two stones. Naniwa makes a 3/8k, and Norton has the 4/8k. Both can put a nice polish/touchup on a blade, and 3 or 4k will do bigger jobs when you are ready.

There are many options for light honing/touchups/polishing. IMO synthetic benchstones are a great value, and I like using them for every stage.

Michael

What would you recommend for lapping a Naniwa 12 ss

I have heard this is ok

lapping with wet-dry sandpaper in the 320 to 400 -grit range, then finishing with paper between 600 and 1000 grit. Does this sound ok?

Jim

+1 on the Naniwa 12K a barber hone isnt as forgiving as a naniwa

Originally Posted by JimBob

What would you recommend for lapping a Naniwa 12 ss

I have heard this is ok

lapping with wet-dry sandpaper in the 320 to 400 -grit range, then finishing with paper between 600 and 1000 grit. Does this sound ok?

Jim

Yeah, that would work just fine.
Make sure you have a flat base for the wet&dry, and go to town.
The 600-1000 grit paper really isn't necessary though. 400 would be just fine.

Draw a pencil grid on and don't stop untill it is gone, then repeat!

Good luck.

Originally Posted by eleblu05

+1 on the Naniwa 12K a barber hone isnt as forgiving as a naniwa

+2 On the Naniwa 12k wondeful stone easy to use and in the long run a lot better then a barber hone.