Thread: First Set of Stones

Hello all, I'm looking to get my first set of stones and these sound like a bargain. Has anyone used these in particular?

I have a stainless steel Dovo that gives a reasonable shave as it is but doesn't pass the hanging hair test and I feel it should be much sharper.

Any help would be much appreciated.

SET OF 2 NATURAL FINE RAZOR HONE SHARPENING STONE DRAGONS TONGUE YELLOWLAKE | eBay

I have those stones and I really like them...they vary though as they are naturals and take some playing with. A better suggestion for a first stone would be a synthetic like a Norton 4/8k as they are more consistent and theres tons of info on here to help you along the way. If you're just looking for a finisher to touch up your edges for now a Nanaiwa 12k is a very popular one. Hope this helps

Originally Posted by Catrentshaving

A better suggestion for a first stone would be a synthetic like a Norton 4/8k as they are more consistent and theres tons of info on here to help you along the way.

Thanks for this, just did a Googleshop for that stone and they're not cheap are they

You have two choices. To save money (or not as naturals can vary and you can finish with need to buy different stones anyway). Or to buy tried and tested Nortons (yes they are relatively more expensive) which have ready available and accessible tuition help online which will help you to achieve your goal of getting your razor shave ready. Me personally I was silly enough to sell my set of Nortons and now I am thinking to buy another one even though I have more natural hones I, my family and friends will ever need.

For first stones I only recommend Norton, Naniwa, or Shapton stones as you can obtain advice from afar on them as they are very consistent: Your Shapton GS would work just like my Shapton GS...or enter the other "brands" in the place of Shapton. Natural stones can vary quite a bit, this is why most of us don't recommend them for learning to hone.

If you are anywhere near me, drop me a PM & we can get you going from there. YOu may find some sellers cutting stones up...I don't recommend those.

Most of us will recommend learning to touch up a razor first, so you might look at a good barber stone, Naniwa 12K, or Shapton GS 16K.

Lastly, forget about the HHT...the shave is what matters. I say forget about it simply because of your experience level, I mean no harm in this statement...just stating the facts.

As the venerable Napolean LeBlanc once wrote, "Cheap tools is misplaced economy." If there's one spot a person shouldn't be cheap about it's stones, errr strops, errr maybe brushes, err uhh razors?

I say go with what Shooter said. No sense is re-inventing his wheel. It rolls perfectly.

The natural stones are alluring, but they can be finicky for beginners to learn to use. I have been learning to hone for about a year, and during that time I've purchased a few natural stones (a coticule, a black-translucent Arkansas, the three-stone Welsh slate set). IME I have come to the conclusion that I either need more practice or my naturals just aren't good for razor use. I also have a Norton 4/8, and that's one stone that I never have any trouble with. In fact, I would have given up on honing a long time ago if it weren't for having bought that stone.

I've never tried a barbers hone, so I can't speak as to their efficacy. For touching up a razor, I'd say to get the Naniwa 12k especially if you see yourself getting more stones in the future. There's a ton of people on SRP that use that stone as their one and only finisher and wouldn't have it any other way. You'll just need to stay on top of your touch-ups and not let the blade get too far out of shape. Otherwise, it might take a while to get it shaving again using only a 12k stone.

I have just started honing myself. I have the naniwa chosera 1k for bevel setting, the 3k/ 8k combo, and the 12k finisher and they work wonders for me! the whole naniwa Superstone set is a bit pricey maybe around 300 bucks but it's definitely worth it- especially for a beginner!

Ok thanks gentlemen, I have managed to get hold of a Norton 4000/8000 for £65 brand new inc PP - how's that for a bargain!

£65 is good price. Where did you get it from? For some reason I thought you were over the other side of pond.