Thread: thinking about hones

Originally Posted by Phrank

The Naniwa 12k is perfect for refreshing your razor, maybe the Norton 4/8 k if you want to go down to the 8k level.

Actually honing a razor, from bevel set to finish, has pretty much cured me of any future HAD

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Originally Posted by Hirlau

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Really - it's not "champagne wishes and caviar dreams", as you put that perfect edge on your razor, using the perfect finishing stone that you finally, finally got your hands on....no, it's slogging your a$$ of for hours trying to get a bevel, not really sure if maybe you can get it a little bit better, screwing it all up after you ding the edge during a flip half-way through a lap on the 12k, and right back to the start.

I'll say it again, Glen's video on the 30k stone, three laps, a shrug, and all done here folks...made me laugh, because that's about how much time you spend on the, "sexy stones"....but I know I'll do it again!

Originally Posted by Phrank

Really - it's not "champagne wishes and caviar dreams", as you put that perfect edge on your razor, using the perfect finishing stone that you finally, finally got your hands on....no, it's slogging your a$$ of for hours trying to get a bevel,

LOL Yeah that whole thing of "90% of the work is in the bevel set" kinda comes home to roost when ya start doing them yourself Huh ???

A synthetic progression is the simplest and easiest to learn.

If this is your first stone, a 4/8k or 3/8kcombo stone, is all you need to maintain a razor or set or reset a bevel.

Natural stones and especially Ebay slates are not near the advertised grit, nor can they be rated, there was no quality control standing over them when they were made over hundreds, thousands of years.

They are enticing to novice honer because of the price and the touted grit ratings, but that’s advertising… What… the chick doesn’t come with the beer?

I have used two slates from the common Ebay UK seller. One belonged to a friend, it was very nice. I honed a couple of razors on it and all was good, a very nice finisher. Based on that I bought one from the very same source. Mine is crazy slow. It hardly cuts at all. This is the way it goes for a lot of naturals. That is part of the reason some of the famous brands sell for more money than their cousins, the brand name company tested and verified all their stones. I think if you want something inexpensive for a touch up do your research and buy a quality barbers hone. There are a few out there that are very good and not that much money.

I would recommend jnat. Yes jnat for a beginner. As a finisher. And with a good one you can go from 1k to jnat with tomonagura easily.
They are not very complicated in use and not very expensive if you are not looking for a collector grade stone. If you buy from a good seller you buy stone tested for razor.
That works for me and I am not a honemeister.
Whatewer stone you choose you can't skip learning curve.