Quote Originally Posted by dcaven View Post
Up until now I have been using only natural stones to hone my razors. I get a comfortable shaving edge from a coticule and a thuringian. I do not, however, get a spectacular edge.
I had to read this a couple of times; colour me confused. So you get a comfortable shaving edge. Which does what an edge should do: shave you comfortably. Please explain to me the difference between a comfortable shaving edge and a spectacular shaving edge. I'm not being sarcastic, I honestly do not understand what you're looking for or what you think the difference is/should be.


Quote Originally Posted by dcaven View Post
I am waiting on a Suehiro 20k Japanese synthetic
You have two stones capable of finishing an edge so it shaves comfortably. So you buy a third one. Again, I'm confused as what you expect this (expensive) stone to add to that or do differently.


Quote Originally Posted by dcaven View Post
[...] and will do the following from now on. Coticule as always followed by Thuringian followed by 20 to thirty x strokes with 20k synthetic. No chromium oxide only a good stropping before use.

How does this sound? Should I consider a final few x strokes on the Thuringian to maintain the natural feel or is this overkill.

Thanks.

David
Yes, to me this sounds like overkill, but not in the way you intended (Thüringer followed by the Suehiro 20,000). Too many hones capable of doing basically the same thing: making an edge shave comfortably. And what has been the role of the chromium oxide? Have you used it, and if so, at what stage?

But yes, if you really want to notice the difference between finishing hones (which tends to be minimal, in my experience), get the razor to shave you comfortably. Then add a layer of tape and finish on your stone of choice. Do this for all three stones and use all of them a few times to be better able to determine the difference shaving products and preparation make. Shaving products and preparation are variables. Variables that, in my opinion, make much more of a difference on shaving result than the stone you finished your edge on.

And assigning grit ratings to natural stones is plain silly. Most natural stones work according to different principles than 'particles portruding out of a ceramic surface'; thus comparing naturals to synthetic hones often leads to misinterpretation and possible under-/overestimation of naturals. Which in turn may become dogma's.