Thread: What Shapton stones should I purchase?

I have used the Norton 1K, 4K, 8K and Naniwa 12K now for a number of years with great success. I wish to try the more expensive Sharpton stones. They are available in more grit sizes than the Norton. Can I get by with the 1K, 4k, 8K and the 16K to start? My thoughts are to buy the holder along with these stones and use them with my DMT 325. What is the advantage of using the full set?
Regards,
Karl

You are going to be hard pressed to improve on the Naniwa 12k edge on most razors..

If you are going to go Shapton go all in, but I honestly can't advise it as a great investment in improvement..


If you want to spend money and get more bang for the buck I would dump the Nortons

Get a Naniwa Chosera/Pro 1k

The Naniwa SS 3k and 8k

and look for a Natural Finisher you want to mess with also

This will do the most to give you a different feel to the edge then the entire Shapton series


Note: I said DIFFERENT I did not say better, as I started the response with you will be hard pressed to beat the Naniwa 12k edge

This set up will give you a better Bevel set and Transition through the 8k level and a choice as to the 12k or the natural for a finisher


JMHO

Shapton stones....Anyway, you can do just fine with the grit progression you are thinking about. You could buy them all, but that is not necessary. You can pick and choose which grits you think you will need the most. The only advantage for the full set would be some flexibility with how you tackle certain projects. Maybe a razor does not need to go down to the 1k, but the 4k would be too slow. So you could use a 2k or a 3k. But I guess if you are really about a nice step by step progression, the full system might calm you obsessive ruminations.

Btw, the holder is really nice, again not necessary. I purchased it and love it.

I am not a Shapton user, so here is where the grain of salt comes in. Logic says it should work. The smaller the steps between hones the less time required on the next hone. There then comes the question of skill and pressure. Once those dial in you can compensate to larger just with skilled use of pressure. That is my theory on 1K and then finish hone honing or one stone honing. So the only big step you have is the 8 to 16, you could put a 12 in there for comfort. If you are picking them up locally and not paying for shipping you could try it the way it is laid out. I think that there are many things that we get used to doing a certain way. If you start with that step you will learn how to do it well and will just become used to it, the only catch in there is it "might" be more difficult in the beginning. There's a couple of thoughts.

Are you considering Shapton GlassStones or Professionals?

Yup, you have a bulletproof progression now.

1k’s don’t matter all that much, I have not found better stones than the Norton 8k and 12k Super Stone, and I have looked…

There is not much you can do to improve the edge production, except master each stone, especially the 12K Super Stone, it is very versatile and capable of a great edge.

The only improvement I would make, is a razor quality Chrome Oxide on a canvas or nylon strop.

Originally Posted by Utopian

Are you considering Shapton GlassStones or Professionals?

I was considering the GlassStones.

The grass is always greener on the other side, but it is always grass IME. I've been through exactly what you're doing, in having all I needed, but wanting to try other stones. What Glen, and Euclid said I am in agreement with. The Chosera 1k is worth the $, and the other super stones Glen recommended would be a nice set with your 12k. The 325 diamond plate is fine (D8C), but the Atoma 1200 is way better.

I still use my Norton 4/8 a lot, even though I've got the full Chosera set. It is probably slightly 'better', in that it might be faster, but it is way more $, and I don't know that I could justify the expense unless I was honing for $, which I'm not. OTOH, it is a sport for some of us, and if buying stones just because you want to try them .... experience something different ......... it is fun if you don't mind spending the $. Could be worse, you could have an ocean going motor boat.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

You are going to be hard pressed to improve on the Naniwa 12k edge on most razors..

If you are going to go Shapton go all in, but I honestly can't advise it as a great investment in improvement..


If you want to spend money and get more bang for the buck I would dump the Nortons

Get a Naniwa Chosera/Pro 1k

The Naniwa SS 3k and 8k

and look for a Natural Finisher you want to mess with also

This will do the most to give you a different feel to the edge then the entire Shapton series


Note: I said DIFFERENT I did not say better, as I started the response with you will be hard pressed to beat the Naniwa 12k edge

This set up will give you a better Bevel set and Transition through the 8k level and a choice as to the 12k or the natural for a finisher


JMHO

Thanks Glen. Your advise has stood me well in the past. I'll give the other Naniwa a try.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

The grass is always greener on the other side, but it is always grass IME. I've been through exactly what you're doing, in having all I needed, but wanting to try other stones. What Glen, and Euclid said I am in agreement with. The Chosera 1k is worth the $, and the other super stones Glen recommended would be a nice set with your 12k. The 325 diamond plate is fine (D8C), but the Atoma 1200 is way better.

I still use my Norton 4/8 a lot, even though I've got the full Chosera set. It is probably slightly 'better', in that it might be faster, but it is way more $, and I don't know that I could justify the expense unless I was honing for $, which I'm not. OTOH, it is a sport for some of us, and if buying stones just because you want to try them .... experience something different ......... it is fun if you don't mind spending the $. Could be worse, you could have an ocean going motor boat.

Thanks.
I'm familiar with that boat. Living on the Maine coast and chasing strippers, blues and bottom fishing with my children when they were young. I know only too well the hole in the ocean in which to throw my money.