Thread: Chosera 1k vs Norton 1k

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Maybe it's just me, but I actually think the Norton 1k is pretty slow. And I also think the chosera is fast. Especially when I raise a light slurry with a coticule.

As noted, Chosera has a really nice feel. I don't like how the Norton 1k feels at all.

+1. I have had the norton, gave it away to a friend, the naniwa ss, good but sold it after I got the Chosera 1k at Dylan's and Lynn's high recommendation. I am very pleased with it in all regards. I don't know if I would spend $80 on a bevel setter if I had one , and wasn't honing many razors, but I'm glad I have mine.

Originally Posted by regularjoe

Dave, I missed the chance to comment! lol. I've used both. Woo hooo I'm feeling pretty big for my britches right now. Ok, looks like the water wings are comin off fellahs!

I just talked to a new member about this yesterday actually. But the main reason I like the Chosera better is because it doesn't need nearly the water of the Norton. When I was using a Norton stone, I felt like the thing had to just be constantly irrigated in order to do well. While the Chosera gets it's soak time, and doesn't need nearly as much spritzing while honing. I do also feel like the Norton stone left a little bit rougher edge, but in my case, that could be attributed to impatience on my part, lack of skill at the time, or a gamut of other variables I imagine. So, in a nutshell, the Chosera is better for me because I don't have to spritz it nearly as much, the "feel" of the stone is better, and I feel like it does it's work a bit faster as well.

Thanks , Justin . I like faster , and I like less water , that Norton really does suck up some water . You've got me thinking , now

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

+1. I have had the norton, gave it away to a friend, the naniwa ss, good but sold it after I got the Chosera 1k at Dylan's and Lynn's high recommendation. I am very pleased with it in all regards. I don't know if I would spend $80 on a bevel setter if I had one , and wasn't honing many razors, but I'm glad I have mine.

Thanks , Jimmy . If I'm spending $80 on a 1k hone , I want to have a dam good reason , considering I already have two 1k hones . I don't hone a lot of razors , but I do like rehabing old razors , for my own enjoyment . So , while I'm not doing high volume , I'll probably be using a 1k hone , for as long as I'm able to hone (a long time , I hope ) . Now I'm thinking , maybe I should get the Chosera

Originally Posted by dave5225

Thanks , Jimmy . If I'm spending $80 on a 1k hone , I want to have a dam good reason , considering I already have two 1k hones . I don't hone a lot of razors , but I do like rehabing old razors , for my own enjoyment . So , while I'm not doing high volume , I'll probably be using a 1k hone , for as long as I'm able to hone (a long time , I hope ) . Now I'm thinking , maybe I should get the Chosera

You remind me of me. I was glad when I fianlly pulled the trigger. TBH, at first, I was like, Not another stone, much less a bevel setter.

It's now my go to 1k.

Thank you all , very much . Every reply has been helpful , and you've all given me plenty of "food for thought" .

Since the 1K hone is basically used to set the bevel and that is
almost a one time thing any well lapped 1k hone will do
that trick. The vast majority of the times after that you
will only need to go to 4k if that.... to refresh the edge.

The Norton 1k water stone is soft and needs frequent lapping.

If you hone 20 razors a day then other considerations come to play.

My bias is to get a hone in the same family as the hones that you
like in the 4k and finer range. So if you have a Norton 4k/8k hone
and want a 1k hone stick with Nortons. If you are a 3k/8k Naniwa SS
person then stick with Naniwa. Of interest Chosera is made by
Naniwa so their grit progressions will work together.

For me as a shaver a Chosera is a luxury. Te 10K Chosera I do have
I picked up used and gives me a hint of why the pros like them. For me
without a serious discount I will pass on more. But they are a notch above.

Back to 1k rocks. The near 1k grit hones are a good thing in the kitchen.
My 20/20 hindsight tells me that kitchen knife sharpening needs
trumps razors in my house at 1k. Because of this my Naniwa Aotoshi 2k Green Brick
gets used all the time and my Norton 1k hardly at all. Knife or razor, it seems
to take an edge to exactly where I like and for razors my other hones are happy
to follow it Norton as my other Naniwa hones. Should a razor prove stubborn
I find my flat lapped green 2K is more than coarse enough to perfect a previously
well set bevel.

Naniwa makes many hone groups one overlooked hone is the Naniwa Snow White 8k.

One of us (gssixgun)) commented once that Shapton glass hones "just" work. I can second
that. Again I found a set on deep discount and I can tell you they are fine hones
and if you can find another sale like I did -- go for a set.

Golly I rambled...
Summary: 1K, love the one you are with. The important rocks are finer.

Yep, all good advice above. If ya gots the money and have HAD badly go for it. If you hone lots of razors and time is an issue while honing, go for it. If you already have a 1k that is working for you and you only hone a few razors a month or year and money is short but you really want another hone it would be better spent on a hone at the other end of the spectrum, a different finisher and/or a different finisher -1. While most hones will do a good job on most razors the hardness of the steel compared to the hardness of the binder and grit in the hone effects the time on that hone and the final edge the hone can put on that specific razor. If you hone a lot of razors you will notice this difference. If you only hone a few razors it will be harder to notice. Also as noted above, you will probably not need to use the bevel setter after the first time on a specific razor unless you are like me and time is short while expectations are high. I am of the school of "get 'er done" when it comes to metal work, probably from my years as a Tool and Die Maker. A few strokes on a 1k will save me x times more strokes on the next hone and I'm all for moving along quickly. Oh, I forgot to mention, I have the Norton 1k and 1k Chosera. I do like the feel of the Chosera better than the Norton but I use the right tool for the razor and the preference of feel doesn't play into which hone I choose to finish the bevel setting.

Chosera 1k is the way to go. Only buy anything else if you want to make it on the cheap. There are only two stones in my honing arsenal which haven't been replaced after I have bought them: Chosera 1k, Atoma 400. These two stones are so nice in their category, that if there is a better stone out there for their role, I don't care.

The chosera is fast, feels good, isn't thirsty, laps fast, wears slow, leaves a nice edge, and a nice shallow scratch pattern. It has everything I need in a good bevel setter.

This is the edge of a razor after a Chosera 1K, it clearly shows the scratch pattern. I have the Norton and Chosera 1K. I'like the feel and edge off the Chosera better.