New Honing Strategy

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 am waiting on a Suehiro 20k Japanese synthetic 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

If you are going to use the 29k, I'd stop there. Either use the natural Thuringian to finish or the 20k. But to be honest, if you're having trouble I'd really like to see you use only synthetics. Naturals have so much variation.

Is it ok to use the thuringian followed by the 20K? I feel like it will bridge the gap between the coticule and the the synthetic.

The 20k is likely more refined than your Thuringian. It would likely be a step back. As I always say, I'm not the expert here so I'll leave some space for one of them to chime in.

That is what I meant. Coticule, Thuringian, Suehiro 20k, strop

Just try it out. Hone it going coti-thuri-SG20K so your razor is maxed and see how it shaves. Then take it to the thuri and see what happens. Observe what happens and then you'll have your answer. Ive never used the 20k so I couldn't tell you how many laps to do.

Makes sense. Thanks.

I know its probably not the answer you were wanting but that is really the only way to find out whats best. Your thuri could be a normal thuri and I could have a super thuri and the 20k would not improve my edge but it would yours or vice versa. Again I have never used a 20k but I have heard that is supposed to smooth like a natural and likened to even a JNAT but the the guaranteed uniformity of a synthetic. SO you may not even need to do anything buy strop after the 20k.

About 30 to 40 strokes on the suehiro is what I have heard and use for now but YMMV.

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Originally Posted by cosperryan

I know its probably not the answer you were wanting but that is really the only way to find out whats best. Your thuri could be a normal thuri and I could have a super thuri and the 20k would not improve my edge but it would yours or vice versa. Again I have never used a 20k but I have heard that is supposed to smooth like a natural and likened to even a JNAT but the the guaranteed uniformity of a synthetic. SO you may not even need to do anything buy strop after the 20k.

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If the edge was good prior to the 20k, you won't need anything more. No pastes, no other finishers. It's an outstanding finishing stone. I really hope you get as much out of it as I have. For my money, it's the last word on finishing stones. But you really have to bring a good edge to it do it can truly be a finisher.

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Originally Posted by OCDshaver

If the edge was good prior to the 20k, you won't need anything more. No pastes, no other finishers. It's an outstanding finishing stone. I really hope you get as much out of it as I have. For my money, it's the last word on finishing stones. But you really have to bring a good edge to it do it can truly be a finisher.

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Well thats what I have heard but like I said I don't have one so couldn't speak either way. I would love to have but thats a chunk o' change to lay down.

I'm really looking forward to trying it out. I ordered the stone awhile ago and it's been in customs in LA for a week now. Maybe tomorrow's the day. I just bought a razor and it was in customs for several days then it just appeared at my house. the postal service didn't update their website at all. hoping it is the same deal with the stone.

Try it all and find what works best for your razors and your technique.

Doubt any natural is 20k, most not by half.

Experiment

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Originally Posted by rlmnshvstr8

About 30 to 40 strokes on the suehiro is what I have heard and use for now but YMMV.

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You might also want to try fewer strokes--more like down in the range of 10 or 12.

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Originally Posted by dcaven

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.

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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.

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Originally Posted by dcaven

I am waiting on a Suehiro 20k Japanese synthetic

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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.

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Originally Posted by dcaven

[...] 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

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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.

David:
I have a synthetic hone system that finishes with the Suehiro G20. I also hone on naturals, mostly J-Nats.
It's been my experience that the G20 is a very fast finisher as long as you take a shave ready edge to it. To me this means the equivalent of a maxed out 8K or better edge, and a comfortable shave but lacking as close as possible.
On the razors that I have honed on this finisher I will max out the 8K level and then do about ten laps on the G20, strop and test to see if the edge is where I like it. If I find that I would like a bit more then another ten laps and again test. I have never found to date a reason to do more than 30 laps on this finisher. Usually less is better if my early work is done well.

I don't hone on a Thuri or a Coti but if I did I would try the G20 after the Coti first, see what kind of results you get. If you are happy then your Thuri would not be useful in that progression.

I don't think that I would use the G20 in my natural progression because I get what I want in my edges on naturals only, but I know others that do mix naturals with the G20 with results they like.
I have shaved off of very good Coti edges and I believe that if I could attain that level of shave comfort I would choose to go right to the G20 from the Coti, no Thuri bridge necessary.
Part of the fun of having these stones is the ability to use them in different ways and experiment to see what edges you like the best. I hope your stone arrives soon so that the fun can begin.

If you use a Thuri after the Coticule then you have a Thuri edge. Following that with a Suehiro means you have a Suehiro edge - I'm questioning why you would use the first two - unless you are using the Coticule with slurry as a way of working up from bevel set. If not and you are simply classing each stone as a finisher then I personally don't see much point in using anything other than one of them.