Thread: Any experience with Suehiro Gokumyo Hones?

Bill, from my experiences with the Gok 15k & 20k is when they arrive brand new, to avoid all these various questions, grid them properly with a ruler and a carpenters pencil, and use a mellow DMT325 (Which I only just learned) and lap them until you have a clean stone. When you have that, you won't need to lap it for hundreds of razors. For an amateur like me, I won't need to touch it for a year, seriously.

So how do the other suehiro line of hones compare to say the chosera line. I have a chosera 1k, I'm looking to get a 400-800 hone and a new set to replace my norton 4/8. I've been thinking to go chosera 3k and 5k. Now that I have the gokumyo 20k, I'm wondering if the suehiro lower grit hones would be a better option. Any suggestions?

Choseras are great, i think you cant go wrong. I have the higher grit SG 10,15,20 and they work great. I have 400, 600, 1,2,3 and 5 choseras and love em. Pricey but great stones. Never used low grit suehiros so wont comment on those.

What would you suggest to bridge the gap between a chosera 5k and a ss 12k, or is that jump acceptable? I don't think I'll pay the money for a chosera 10k. I can continue using the Norton 8k, but I think I want to try something else, possibly a naniwa 8k. I was researching the suehiro line of hones other than the gokumyo line, and did not find much.

I use 1k Chosera
3k SS
5k Shapton Pro
8k Shapton Pro
10k SS
20k Suehiro

Works great every time and it is a cheaper progression.
I hated my 3k Chosera, it self slurried a lot and that is something that I do not like a razor hone do.

Anything in the 1-8k range that is proven to work for honing razors will do, the 20k is fast enough to manage the jump.

I do 5k chosera to 10k suehiro easily. The 10 k is a bit less expensive than the chosera 10. 5 to 12 is big jump. But 5 to 8k norton to 12 is easy as well. IMO i would use the 8 and save some $ but thats your choice.

I have the 20K and use it as a final finisher. love it.

We are all happy with the Gokumyo 20k, my list is 1k lobster deluxe Nani , the 4k Nani Lobster deluxe, the 6k king , the nani SS 8k, and King Goldstone 8k, the 10k Icebear, followed by the Gokumyo 15 K and to finish with the 20k gokumyo 20 K. It's an interesting list but I seem to prosper with it. Cheers lads. I have a dmt 325 and an Atoma 400. I think I'm just about done guys.

Originally Posted by prodigy

What would you suggest to bridge the gap between a chosera 5k and a ss 12k, or is that jump acceptable? I don't think I'll pay the money for a chosera 10k. I can continue using the Norton 8k, but I think I want to try something else, possibly a naniwa 8k. I was researching the suehiro line of hones other than the gokumyo line, and did not find much.

IMO you can't go wrong with the Nani 12K SS. I also have/use the Naniwa Snow White 8K it's a harder stone like the Chosera series and one has to keep it lapped smooth but when you do it gives great performance.

I like the norton, I just feel I haven't tried anything else to compare it with. I think I'll try:
1k chosera (have)
3k ss (need)
5k pro (need)
8k pro (need)
12k ss (have)
20k (have)
I feel these 3 new stones will do the trick. My 4/8 norton might have been contaminated at some point. The white 4k side has reddish discoloration and the 8k side has an odd oval-shaped stain. I'll post pics tomorrow. I'm sure it isn't negatively effecting my honing, but I'm at the point where I want to try something different.