Thread: Stones to start

Go to the meet #1, period.

I mirror what Rezdog said as I too have experience with both sets of stones you are considering. It is normally easier to learn touching up razors first, this way you are learning how to work with a stone at a less aggressive "grit". For example, your favorite razor is starting to tugg a bit. You take it to the freshly lapped 8K and do 20 light x strokes, 100 on linen strop, and 100 on leather. SHave and see if the razor is performing as it used to. If not, repeat. Normally the first touch-up will get it back to where it needed to be.

Once you get used to touching up a razor, you move down the "grits" as your knowledge and feel progresses.

Originally Posted by MNWetShaver

I've even considered skipping the 1k for now and going the JaNorton Route to really push myself to get good at bevel setting and honing. But I already have RAD, why would I think that wouldn't apply to stones as well. And I'm not sure I want to go JaNorton on blades that need a fair amount of work (not chips, just really, really, really in need of a new bevel). I give it a couple of years and I'll have bought every stone on the SRD website. I'm gonna give myself a week or so before making a final decision and putting in the order to get some more input.

There are a few things here. In the JaNorton thread, there was not restorative work being done. Guys were simply taking essentially a shave ready razor, killing the edge, then re establishing the edge of the bevel and then polishing it with the 8K. That is entirely different than regrinding the bevel from scratch on a restore or taking out chips from an eBay special. Those are very different things. The 1K will be very much necessary for those things, but not really the best place for most to start. We all come into this with a variety of skill and skill levels. Starting from refreshing and then working to more complicated jobs has some logic to it. Crawl, stand, walk, run. I think the meet will give you great exposure and will be a lot of fun. I wish I could make it.

In your first thread, either set will do just fine and are all you will ever need… until you start chasing the extra 2 percent some of us chase.

I prefer the Norton in the middle stones over the Naniwa super stones as they don’t load up as much.

The bevel setter does not matter.

And the 12K super stone is bullet proof, all you will ever need to finish.

But really a 4/8K Norton is all you need to hone and will keep you shaving forever. The 4k can bevel set and the 8K can finish, all but probably 10 percent of us are capable of maxing the 8k performance from that stone. It is a testament of the stone, it is just that versatile of a stone with a very, very wide range.

I have well over 100 stones of all types, I use the 4/8k Norton to hone 95 percent of all razors almost daily.

You are on the right track and splitting hairs, trying them once will probably just confuse you more, but won’t matter, all the stones you listed are great stone, the differences are just nuances of how they feel, performance is the same.

Do go to a meet you, will learn a lot hands on, and will gain light years of insight. It really is the little details or tricks that make a big difference… anyone can rub a blade on a stone…

When you come to the meet-up next week, will also get a chance to try each of the hones you have mentioned, and a few more.

This is all really good info. The meet up is going to be more helpful than I realize now. But at least that will help me learn more about honing, answer any questions that arise and should help prepare me to get what I want. Thanks guys!

+1 to all of the above, the first priority IMO would be to get to that meet.
I started out by getting the Norton 1,4,8k individual stones and I'm very happy I went that way. There is so much info here on the forum using that set up, I believe it helped me allot.
At the meet you will be amazed at what you will learn, do yourself a favor and get there.

Originally Posted by MNWetShaver

So I'm thinking a DMT 325 for a lapping plate, Chosera 1K and Norton 4k/8k and once I get BBS shaves off the 8k, adding the Naniwa SS 12K and .5 CrO. I'm new to straight razor honing, but not sharpening. Been sharpening knives since I was very young. Younger than I'd let my boy play with a knife anyway. Thoughts on that set up? Would you change anything? I'll admit, debating on a 3k/8k Naniwa or 5k 8k separates instead of the Norton (SRD's 5,8,12k package isn't making this decision easier )

That is the exact progression I am using right now (minus the crox) and very happy with it.

That is a pretty good setup. You may also get a small slurry stone.