King - Ice Bear 1000/6000 water stone for razor honing

[vjanda]

Hi All.


Has anyone had a chance to use Japanese King - Ice Bear water stones?


I'm getting my first stone for straight razor honing and the 1000/6000 combo is reasonably priced.


Many thanks,

Viktor

[proximus26]

I have this hone. The 6k side for me is just great however 1k for bevel setting is little bit to harsh.

[Castel33]

I have the king 1k and it is a good hone. I do not have the 6 k hone and most will say you need a stone 8k or over to get a nice shave.

I normally finish to 8k for my razors. I have shaved off a 4k edge and it was a decent shave not something I would want to shave with every day.

[vjanda]

Is the fact it's only 2" wide and not 3" a big issue?

I heard good things about the Norton 4000/8000 but it's almost 3 times the price of the Ice Bear.
Not sure if it's worth spending the extra cash as it's only purpose will be straight razor honing.
It's 3" making it nice for razors as I wouldn't have to move the blade sideways.

[celticcrusader]

I have this hone including another 8K King stone and a few Naniwa super stones, and I rate the King stones highly, great value for money, and personally I really like the feedback i get while using this stone, and yes I know the stone is not a full sized stone, but it's perfect for a smiling blade, and easy to lap.

Jamie.

[vjanda]

Hi Jamie,
forgive my ignorance but what is a smiling blade?
The razors I have to sharpen are 3" wide.
Do you think the stone size won't be too much of an issue?
Thx

[Chevhead]

Smiling Blade is one that looks like a 1/4 moon... ie... (

[MODINE]

The King Ice bear is a good stone to start on, I did. Keep the stone flat. You will need DMT plate anyway at some point. I hope this helps some.
MIke

[Castel33]

I actually prefer a 2" stone over a 3" stone. You just will need to learn to use the x stroke.

Which is not that hard and is the basis of many of more advanced methods of honing.

[Proinsias]

I like mine.

I find the 1k takes quite a bit of soaking and needs frequent lapping. The 6k is almost splash & go. The jump between the two can take some time and you're likely going to want further refinement after the 6k. I find the size good to use as both a bench stone and hand held. I like using the stone with slurry and it feels more like working with natural stone but I don't think it's necessary.

What are you looking for from you first hone? I think the King is a good stone stone for the price but it basically provides a bevel setter and then a big jump to not quite shave ready. Paired up with a finishing stone and a dmt d8c I find it a decent system for keeping a house full of sharp things but I wouldn't want it as a one stone solution for razors. If you're just looking to keep already sharp razors sharp get a finer synthetic or natural stone, if want to set bevels and prep razors for a final finish on the cheap consider the King.

A flat bit of marble or glass, some wet/dry paper, a king 1k/6k and a finishing stone/paste/medium provides a fairly budget friendly all in one razor solution in the UK. Whilst bearing in mind you get what you pay for the Chinese natural stones, welsh slates and Muller grindstones that I've tried improve the 6k edge to the point a pleasant shave can be had. If you've not already got it think about some chromium oxide, around 30,000 grit, on a bit of balsa wood or leather, I got mine from Neil at the Strop Shop for less than £2 and a few years on I still think it's the best cost vs performance vs ease of use I've come across.

Sharpening stuff with my dmt d8c, king 1k/6k, muller grindstone, purple welsh slate, vintage coticule and chromium oxide: