Thread: Am I buying crap?

Keep in mind, I'm on a college budget so I really can't afford anything good.

I'm planning on using either of these as my main and only whetstone, will these do the trick or am I just buying a rock?

Amazon.com: King 6000 Grit Whetstone HT-43: Industrial & Scientific

This one's 20 bucks at LUCA or whatever.
Amazon.com: Buying Choices: Knife Sharpener Whetstone Grit 6000 #HT-43

First thing you need to decide is the purpose of the stone. It's not that there's anything wrong with your choices there. It's just that each stone has a purpose and best use. For a "do it all hone", I wouldn't choose either, regardless of my income. I'd put your 25 bucks in a jar, then put 25 in a jar next month, and then 25 in a jar the next month....then pull it all out and buy a Norton 4/8 or a Naniwa 3/8.

Plus that'll give you 3 months experience with someone else's edge, before you start trying to figure out sharpening, and shave ready, on top of shaving.

It depends on what you want to do. If you really want a single hone to go from setting bevels all the way up to shave ready, I would say check out the "One stone honing method" videos. However, I would caution you that that is NOT an easy way to learn to hone.

If you really can only afford one hone, I would suggest getting a touchup type hone and two razors. Your touchup hone will keep you shave ready indefinitely, and if you happen to damage an edge on a razor beyond what you can fix, send that one out and switch to your backup.

The King 6k is fine as a 6k; you should be able to shave off it comfortably, but most folks go higher. You could set a bevel on it, too, if you're willing to spend the time.

RJ put it well!
I believe that the 6K is a bit too coarse for a good shave. The Norton 8K will do a fair shave. Another hone above that would be useful too!

One thing to watch and ask questions, before buying, about is the size of the hones. We often take for granted that a hone is the usual 2.5" or 3"x 8" or so. The quick money boys sell a lot smaller hone. Not that they are bad, just know what you are buying for a given amount of money. Howsomever, see what is usually suggested here on the forums.

I learned on the King and Ice Bear series and often use one of them for a specific purpose or in pyramid honing. The ones I have are of good quality but I did return one that had flaws.

The King series appears as a bit higher/finer grit than the Norton's for a given designation. That means they may cut slower for a given grit number. Or, they may polish a blade at a given grit number that the Norton is still cutting. That can be good or bad.
The kings also seem to need an extra stone between the levels of grit so you would be buying three hone surfaces to cover the bases. They appear to have been made to renew chef's knives and only later taken by the American woodworkers and razor people. The Naniwa 3/8. May need a stone between for best results in a given amount of time.
Just my take on the matter. I have King and Norton hones, and others.

I would personally try and save a little to get a coticule - or try and pick a vintage one up on the bay. I'm mad about these stones, they can do everything from setting a bevel up to finishing AND they look cool. Give me a coti over a set of artificials any day - they even take up less space.
If you can set a bevel with one you can do the unicot style of honing and you'll be shave ready in probably less than 10 minutes even if you are just starting out.

Originally Posted by regularjoe

First thing you need to decide is the purpose of the stone. It's not that there's anything wrong with your choices there. It's just that each stone has a purpose and best use. For a "do it all hone", I wouldn't choose either, regardless of my income. I'd put your 25 bucks in a jar, then put 25 in a jar next month, and then 25 in a jar the next month....then pull it all out and buy a Norton 4/8 or a Naniwa 3/8.

Plus that'll give you 3 months experience with someone else's edge, before you start trying to figure out sharpening, and shave ready, on top of shaving.

I'm with "regularjoe" on the recommendation as you can get spot on advice for either the Naniwa or Norton...no so for a natural stone like a coticule as each stone is different. Once you get some honing experience, then by all means consider a natural.

I dig both the Norton 4/8k and Nani 3/8. The Nani, for me is favored over the Norton a.smidge. If u get either it would be the only stone youll ever need. You can do everything from bevel set to finish. Starting out with the Norton I think would be your best bet simply because there are soooo many recources and videos out there on this one stone.

Good advice, Save up for a set of proper razor hones. The Nortons and Naniwa's are excellent razor hones. You be glad you waited.

I have Coticules, but do not recommend them to new honers. Too many variables in the hones themselves, regardless of what you read. They're naturals. Not all are "easy" to use, and some are almost impossible to set a bevel on.

I usually recommend that new guys avoid naturals until they learn to get a proper edge off the 8k synthetics. Check out the JANorton thread.

I have the King 6K but I wouldn't want it as an only stone, it's more of a handy extra.

I think you're going to struggle to get a one stone honing solution for that budget. If your razor(s) are already shave ready the Chinese 12k/PHIG/CHUG stones are great little hones for the money and become more versatile with a slurry stone. The Muller grindstone hones are also good value, provide a decent shaving edge and are fairly versatile when used with slurry too.

If you can stretch a little further I'm with Baker on the coticule & slurry stone recommendation. Mastering the intricacies of a natural hone may be a lifelong venture, getting an edge that provides a decent shave less so.

Originally Posted by xdanisx

Keep in mind, I'm on a college budget so I really can't afford anything good.

If you can afford $20 every few months, the cheapest solution is to pay for honing. I would suggest a barber hone but a good one can cost over $20.