Thread: Naniwa or King?

Originally Posted by onimaru55

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If you have a calibrated HHT, do it after you've stropped not before.

My usual progression is king1k if I need to set the bevel, then king6k and final polish on naniwa8k. It works great, with some variations:
-When I want to push the edge I add few strokes on escher or cuticle.
-With some steels suehiro6k works faster than king6k
During the progression I rely on loupe and TPT, my final test is a calibrated HHT and when it is OK the shave is great.

Your stone sequence is effective, is it your technique? Is it that you don't get a perfectly set bevel?

I've used all those stones you are talking about with the same or similar progression and what I don't understand is how you are losing your edge after going on to the Naniwa 8K? because the 8K is a seriously good stone and I find this baffling.

Here is a crazy idea... Ive learned this with knife sharpening... If you polish the edge on a knife it will fail the paper cutting test... Simple! It is super sharp but the bevel is too smooth to cut the paper... Because it needs some of them micro serrations to grab and cut... I think that might be the problem you are encountering

Personal preference...true. Sometimes when I have toiled on a razor, and put it aside, then 2 days later had a shave with it and it shaves fine. I think, I just trust the TPT, when it feels sharp it most likely is. Now I have a 7 razor circulation, so each recovers a few days, and you get a look at it under magnification, can't fault it. I think I did a few things wrong, too much pressure, and rejecting anything that doesn't pass the myriad of tests. Trust your feel is my new motto. Forget the HHT, although I dislike dulling a blade to prove it was sharp TNT, is a fairly accurate indicator. If it doesn't grab your nail, then you do need to continue. If it does grab, you need to repair the damage you just did. We are a nutty bunch.

Originally Posted by bobski

Personal preference...true. Sometimes when I have toiled on a razor, and put it aside, then 2 days later had a shave with it and it shaves fine. I think, I just trust the TPT, when it feels sharp it most likely is. Now I have a 7 razor circulation, so each recovers a few days, and you get a look at it under magnification, can't fault it. I think I did a few things wrong, too much pressure, and rejecting anything that doesn't pass the myriad of tests. Trust your feel is my new motto. Forget the HHT, although I dislike dulling a blade to prove it was sharp TNT, is a fairly accurate indicator. If it doesn't grab your nail, then you do need to continue. If it does grab, you need to repair the damage you just did. We are a nutty bunch.

Lmao! Indeed we are...
This post caught my eye because i hone with 1k, king and 6k king and 12 Chinese... I have been wanting to upgrade so i was thinking on naniwas! Then i thought... Just getting 3k, 8k, 12k nanis and use the kings in between! Still havent decided what to do! I might just get all nanis

Robert, I've not got the experience to give a top answer, however, I've enjoyed the 1k/6k king, and I find the 8K 10K naniwas a hard stone. I must have been using too much pressure, but many others have a great opinion of the nani's. I'm starting to try a little slurry on the 8k for super light strokes. I did read on another site that the highest grit stone, try 10 e/W spine leading. It hasn't been tested yet, but if you tend to over hone, a few spine leading strokes couldn't hurt? Good luck mate. Don't make the mistake I made of way too much pressure, dulling a 4 k bevel, into a butterknife, just through pressure. I've learned

Thanks for the advise

bobski I think you hit on the problem... Pressure. Too much with less than perfect technique can kill the edge Rey quickly. As others have said don't leve th 1K until the bevel is set. Pressure is okay here unti it's just about done then start backing off the pressure. All the other grits are just refinements

I work all my ladies through and finish on the 12K because it's so smooth. The stones are 80% on the finish the balance is stropping. Get lazy here and you'll be asking a trip back to the stones around the 8K level then work back up.

Nortons or Nani's both are quality. I prefer not soaking he stones so the Nani's get the nod for me. Just work with light pressure the lighter the sharper your blade is going to be.

Thanks for that, I'll keep on listening, but I thought learning to shave was the hard part. You feel great when you negotiated your ear lobe for the 1st time. But honing...if you stuff that up you cut that ear lobe off! As to the Nanis, I just have to be patient, listen, and do my best. The best descriptive comment is like spending a week in the gym, doing some laps, and finding you've put on 4 pounds...not lost any! Not fair eh?

Originally Posted by bobski

Thanks for that, I'll keep on listening, but I thought learning to shave was the hard part. You feel great when you negotiated your ear lobe for the 1st time. But honing...if you stuff that up you cut that ear lobe off! As to the Nanis, I just have to be patient, listen, and do my best. The best descriptive comment is like spending a week in the gym, doing some laps, and finding you've put on 4 pounds...not lost any! Not fair eh?

It seems that you have been learning that there's a very good reason why I try to discourage those who are new or fairly new about trying to learn to hone right off the bat!

There is more than enough to learn how to 'Properly' Strop, Make Lather and YES!!! Shave!!!!!

As you are finding out, there is more to honing than watching a video! That's why I ALWAYS Recommend trying to find local help for hands on learning!

I waited over a year to even begin to consider honing, I had purchased some shave ready razors from the Classifieds here at SRP and I'd sent my razors out to the pros for honing and Boy am I glad I did!

While it cost me a bit for purchases, honing charges and shipping, when I finally took the plunge I was able to compare how my edges felt against a pro's edge!

About a year ago I sent a razor out for custom scales for my son's friodur and asked that the razor be finished on a Naniwa 12K and NO Pastes so that I could see how I was doing as I don't use any pastes. I was holding my own!

Be patient, take your time and as has been mentioned back off on the pressure, make sure that the bevel is set/make sure the bevel is set/ make sure the bevel is set!

This is the same advice that Glen gives only worded differently, I believe he writes:

Bevel! Bevel! Bevel!

You'll get there! Honing comes eaisier for some than others!

Enjoy the ride! It's a long strange trip, but well worth the journey!