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?

Originally Posted by mparker762

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.

Arre they really? A single grit Norton at Classic Shaving is more expensive than a single grit Shapton. Of course double sided Nortons are cheaper than 2 Shaptons but if Shaptons are so much faster: wouldn't a single grit Shapton do?

I have the 8k shapton, (and an Arkansas surgical stone which I don't use)and that is all. I get a nice keen edge on my razor, but it has not passed the hanging hair test, probably because I have only been honing for about 2 months, and still learning the tricks of the trade. I still get a very comfortable, bbs shave with no irritation, so I don't kill myself, or my checkbook, in worrying about getting that perfect edge with additional pastes, stones, etc... . Maybe when I come into some more money, and doesn't need to be spent elsewere I will increase my inventory of stones. in my humble opinion, the 8k shapton is a very good stone, and cuts fast.

Originally Posted by Kees

Arre they really? A single grit Norton at Classic Shaving is more expensive than a single grit Shapton. Of course double sided Nortons are cheaper than 2 Shaptons but if Shaptons are so much faster: wouldn't a single grit Shapton do?

No, you still need the separate grits, otherwise you'll wear out your expensive hone.

One of the things that makes the Shapton system work is their speed and the efficient steps in the grits. Once you get the bevel set you should never need more than 5 or 6 laps on any given stone before moving up to the next one, and 2-3 may be more typical (I'm pretty sure I should have stopped after 2 laps on the 8k, but I did one more "for good measure" and then wound up having to correct this with that short pyramid).

For any newbies reading this thread: because of their speed and cost I really can't recommend them to someone just starting out - it's waaaaay to easy to overshoot the edge with these things. Speaking from experience you really don't want to have to go over the hone with a microscope and tweezers picking out bits of wire edge that have broken off and embedded in the hone. Not more than once, anyway.