Thread: When to add a 12k stone to my honing

I managed to achieve an HHT-9 with my Shapton 30K one time. I borrowed a fine red hair from a girl at work and used it for the test. As I got the hair about six inches from the blade, it apparently saw the edge, started to whine, trembled, turned gray and got a split end. It was pretty sad.

My old pappy once told me "Hones should be like drivers licenses. "When you pass the test with one hone (level) then you get to go on to the next (level)".

Yep, good advice on this thread. Now for the reason why. If you don't get the keenest of edges on your blades for the entire length of the blade all you will be doing w/ the 12k or higher hones is polishing the bevel and practicing your strokes. Actually your first hone should get the edge as sharp as possible w/o burrs. every other hone used will be polishing the edge to a finer level. If you don't get the best edge on your coarsest hone you probably don't have the patients to get there with the next hone because it will tale much longer w/ a finer hone. using a 12k or finer hone on a razor that doesn't have the keenest of edges or has an edge with a burr will not improve anything more than the shine on the bevel and the quality of your strokes, if your paying attention to what you are doing. Good luck with your new hones. You will find them useful for many years of honing. I shaved comfortably off an 8k Norton for quite a while back when it was the standard finishing hone on SRP.

I am reading this thread with great interest because its exactly the question I have been pondering. Everyone's advice has been use/learn how to use the 1k 4k 8k norton stones which is what I am doing right now. I have been getting good shaves off them even though I am very much a rookie at honing. I plan to stick to these 3 hones for a while until I get lots of experience. None the less it is an interesting question. What does a 12k hone "add" as far as the actual shaving experience? A smoother shave? a sharper edge?

Originally Posted by mav13

I am reading this thread with great interest because its exactly the question I have been pondering. Everyone's advice has been use/learn how to use the 1k 4k 8k norton stones which is what I am doing right now. I have been getting good shaves off them even though I am very much a rookie at honing. I plan to stick to these 3 hones for a while until I get lots of experience. None the less it is an interesting question. What does a 12k hone "add" as far as the actual shaving experience? A smoother shave? a sharper edge?

A smoother shave? Yes A sharper edge? yes, thats coming off an 8k shave ready edge.Certainly not a night and day difference.
I never heard of a honemeister sending back a razor at the 8k level, that said should answer all the question.

I've been sending razors to pros for evaluations regularly. Although it's a bit disheartening to find out I'm not up to snuff, it's a very valuable experience that I highly recommend. If you can find one, which it seems you already have, I'd use that resource as often as you have the 4 dollars it'll cost you to send it and get it back. Don't bother with a 12k til you're passing by their standards. I've got several finishers....SEVERAL, and have only received 3 passing grades out of six razors sent. The most beneficial tool so far has been the Norton 4/8, but even the stone won't give you what time and open ears will. Honestly, I think every razor I sent out was pretty good, but results have been spotty. Expert evals are the way to go!

Thanks to everyone for their replies. I ended up going down the rabbit hole thread called “JANorton 2012” that Lazarus suggested (dunno how I missed that one). I read, and read, and read and barely made it back here. I watched some videos along the way too. Special thanks to gssixgun for all the time and effort he puts into SRP, making videos, and making me laugh. Thanks Glen.

Hopefully I’ll take delivery of the new stones today and I can begin honing my razor over the weekend. To pinklather, when I get to a point that I think I have a decent edge I might take you up on your offer to critique it.