Thread: Shapton GlassStone® Sharpening System

Has anyone tried any of the Shapton glass hones?

http://www.shaptonstones.com/stones/glass.php

I have the 2k and 4k glassstones, and the 8k and 15k "professional" hones. The glassstones are the same abrasive material as the professional series hones but without the color coding. You don't get as much abrasive but you don't pay as much either, and you won't wear out a glassstone in your lifetime unless you're abusing it with a chisel or something. Had I known about the glassstones when I ordered my pro-series hones I would have gone with the glassstone version. Some people believe the shaptons (both glass and pro) are ill suited for use on straight razors, though there is some disagreement on this point.

thanks mparker762, a lot of people say the grit size on Norton stones are off as well and that Shapton's are more accurate. to each there own. I was thinking about purchasing the 16000 glass Shapton instead of a couticle.

I am thinking about the 30K

Cheers
Ivo

Originally Posted by ucliker

thanks mparker762, a lot of people say the grit size on Norton stones are off as well and that Shapton's are more accurate. to each there own. I was thinking about purchasing the 16000 glass Shapton instead of a couticle.

I had a coticule, but recently sold it as it was essentially a duplicate of my 8k Shapton.

I'm not sure Shapton's grit ratings are more accurate; AFAIK they just use a different system for rating their stones. The advantages of the Shaptons are that you don't need to soak them or dry them; just spritz on water and hone then rinse them off and put them away when you're done. They don't need a slurry like the coticule, and they don't need lapping as frequently as the Norton. They also come in a wider range of grit sizes so you can stay with one system from start to finish.

They are also pricey compared to the Norton, though they can seem downright reasonable compared with some of the natural stones. And there are very few members that use the Shapton stones; you'll have a much wider network of experienced people available if you stick with the norton and coticule.

I'm not looking for a norton replacement, I was just thinking about the shapton
16000 for a final finishing stone. $100 is better than almost $200 for a couticle.

The coticule is a great stone but its not a 16K stone by any stretch of the imagination. If you want to get into higher grit sharpening why not try a pasted strop for the final polishing?

i guess i could do pastes but won't a stone be better in the long run.

Originally Posted by ucliker

i guess i could do pastes but won't a stone be better in the long run.

But not nearly as expensive.
And you don't NEED to pay 200$ for a coticule.
A 6x2 select grade coticule costs only 75$ ata www.theperfectedge.com

Mine is 6x1.5 and it works just fine.
I sure would like to have an 8x3 , but it's not like you can't get the same results with a smaller and cheaper stone.

Thanks Bruno, i forgot about the smaller sizes