Thread: Good write up comparing hones

Choosing & Using a Straight Razor - pt3, Hones my work but found it a very informative and subjective article with pics about a lot of razor hones. Keep seeing people like me asking for opinions on whats the "best" setup and this provides a lot of food fo thought. If the author is on here then i commend your work.

Best setups are whatever works for the individual and what they are looking for. Different hones produce different edges and I guess you have no way of knowing until you have tried them all.

Sounds like the answer from a true sufferer of HAD trying to justify a cupboard full of trial & error
LOL

I have to say that is one of the better write ups I have seen on the different types of hones and their properties. Neil Miller has a good reputation on the different forums and is known for excellent strops.

BTW: Thanks for finding another shaving forum. I think I may have some sort of AD when it comes to sources of information (forums, PDFs, books, ect.).

No worries, i havn't checked out the forum yet. Found that by accident while looking for info on the japanese synthetic suehiro 20k.

Good find. A different sort of hone article, done from Neil Miller's perspective. The man is quite astute and experienced.
An excellent read for everyone!!!

A 1/6 Ice Bear is better than a 4/8 Norton? I used Nanis, so I couldn't say. But that seems a little off.

I think in reading this, he is referring to a 1/6 King. Whilst I have not used Kings nor Naniwas (with exception of a 1k Chosera and a 12k SS), I do use a Norton 4/8. What is a "little off" is purely subjective to one's opinion, IMO.
One thing is certain. If Neil Miller tells me that it is going to rain, I shall not forget my umbrella! Not that I shall dump my Nortons and pursue Kings, but he has tried all, and we have not. Always someone who has a different opinion on hones.
Why the world is round, I suppose!
Or is it?

Originally Posted by eod7

A 1/6 Ice Bear is better than a 4/8 Norton? I used Nanis, so I couldn't say. But that seems a little off.

At the time I wrote thar article (5 years ago - the presenr article appears as 'new' because I had to add a few new hones recently) it was very difficult to get a norton 4/8 in the UK. When you could get them they cost far too much. Not that I did not have one, plus a 1k which I hated.

The King 1/6 was cheap, still is, and a good combo for the money. With a 2k, 8k and 16k it formed part of one of my early progressions - the results I got established me as a honer of other peoples razors by word of mouth - I never advertised, so call that a 'bit off' if you like, its all the same to me.

Like my friend Tom says, the article was written from a personal perspective, with hones I was more than familiar with. Everyones experience is both tempered by their ability and their own personal slant, so if your experience is different good for you, thats fine by me.

For what its worth I have not used King stones for years, chosera and suehiro have replaced the shaptn gs set up that replaced the naniawa ss line up that replaced the all natural lin up that replaced the king based lin up. But if I had to use King, again, I would, no hesitation. I dont knock what I have not tried.

I guess the above is pretty obvious, and tedious both to write and no doubt to read. But one must explain sometimes, however 'off' the reason.

Regards
Neil

Originally Posted by eod7

A 1/6 Ice Bear is better than a 4/8 Norton? I used Nanis, so I couldn't say. But that seems a little off.

That may be because a lot of guys here own the Norton, so opinions could be skewed. If king stones had Been used by the senior guys here then perhaps it would have been different. This is no reflection on any person or piece of equipment.
If I need a new tool for work I will see what everyone or the majority of people are using, if possible try one, then buy that, because I know it will work based on peer review. But that isn't to say another make of tool would be any better or worse, and I most likely would never know because I have what I have bought and until it breaks or fails I won't be looking for another.