Thread: Full Natural or Synth to natural progression?

Originally Posted by mainaman

IMHO this is a very YMMV topic. Tastes also change with experience and after new hones were tested.
I used to use 1k Chosera, 5k Super Stone then Jnats from there.
Now I am all synthetics, finishing with 20k Suehiro, or from time to time a Jnat.

+1 on it's purely a preference question. I am sure if I had different hones I would use different hones, and as my straight razor journey progresses I will come across different things like I am sure those before me have done and those after me will do. Fortunately I just got a bit of HAD out of my system and really need to learn the hones I do have.

That's an easy question to answer for me. I have tried synthetics and a few different natural stones but keep coming back to the combination I get the best edges on. Edges that give a BBS shave with absolutely no irritation.

Synthetic for a bevel set (either a 400 grit or a 1k)
Guangxi stone for all the rest AKA one stone hone, diluticoti, dilutiguangxi, ect...

That's not to say this won't change in time. It just hasn't yet. Don't fix it if it aint broken.

Naniwa 1k bevel setter, BBW, Coti, Apache Strata, Escher...Done!
Works like a charm for me.

Pete <:-}