Thread: Just 1 hone for everything?

All I really want is to have a moderate but decent rotation of razors, and the mains to maintain my rotation effectively. I have done a few honings for people now, but I don't really have the time or enthusiasm to do this on a regular basis, or for a living.

I currently own the following hones:

1. Norton 4K/8K.
2. Norton flattening stone.
3. 6"x1.5" belgian yellow coticle.

If I'm not doing major restorations, or lots of honing for people. Do I really need a Norton 4K/8K or will the belgian yellow suffice?

Is a belgian yellow all I need to maintain my already decent razors indefinately, or do I really need the 4K/8K too?

If a belgian yellow is all I need, I'm considering selling my 4K/8K, flattening stone, and my small belgian yellow, and upgrading to just one stone - an 8"x3" belgian yellow. Good idea, or bad idea?

I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts!

That's assuming you'll never buy a new blade again

For maintenance only a coticule is all you need unless... you buy used razors that need more work or you chip one of your razors...

You might be on the right track here if you only plan to start with new razors. I do believe EL only uses finishing stones (Coticules, Eschers, Hunsruecks) on the new razors he hones for me and not a Norton.

If so maybe a 3x8 is all that is needed.

Tony

I only use fniishing stones. As long at the edge isn't all buste up a Belgian is just fine. That's all I ever use.

I've recently started using Belgians exclusively--blue and yellow. I think they're all you need to keep an edge shaving wonderfully.

You could get a combo blue/yellow and be pretty much set. If you needed to work out chips, you could use sandpaper, or an inexpensive diamond hone like the smaller DMTs.

Howard uses a DMT 1200-grit, then a Belgian blue and yellow. I'm finding this is a really effective and quick way to get eBay razors up and running--lots better than my old sandpaper/Norton setup.

If you were patient, I'm sure you could get eBay razors shaving with only a yellow, though. With a slurry the coticule cuts quite quickly.

If I only had to have one hone, it would be a 6x2" coticule.

Josh

Even for medium heavy work the coticule is good enough.
But you don't really need an 8*3. For some razors a narrow hone might even be better suited.

Believe me if I could afford an 8*3 I'd buy one too, but a 6*1.5 does the job as well.
I have one, and I am happy with it. It is a blue-yellow combo stone though, and I use the blue as well from time to time.

But I also have a norton 1/4, a 4/8 and a flattening stone.
All of which I like a lot as well. Especially if I am honing razors in less than good condition.
I also have a couple of stones I use for things other than razors.
I like all my stones really.

I guess my point is that even if I would not hone razors for other people anymore, and even if I only had/bought high end razors, I would not sell my stones, just in case I ever need them again. Maybe I'd start using them on kitchen knives or axes.

Originally Posted by JoshEarl

You could get a combo blue/yellow and be pretty much set.

I have one, simply because the shop I bought it in sold them for the same price as the slate backed ones. I think that it was an accident they had it in the first place.

Anyhow, natural combos are beautiful but there are 2 things worth pointing out:
1) natural combos are more expensive than one separate yellow and blue stone together.
2) you can use separate stones alongside each other, whereas you have to turn over a combo stone if you want to switch. Potential issues here are slurry contamination and the fact that you can have crud / lint /... hangin to the side that the combo was lying on earlier.

Thanks for the info guys. I think I'll probably go the route of just using a yellow coticle, I only have a small flat and am always getting grief for leaving stones all over the place in our small kitchen!

I've done a little experimentation using them with/without slurry and it's cool that you can change the speed the stone cuts at a little. I also like the way that it's much harder to overhone with a yellow compared to a 4K/8K, especially since I tend to use more strokes than is probably necessary.

I'll give this some thought, thanks folks.

If I had one hone that would take care of virtually all of my needs it would be the Norton 4K/8K Combo. I honed with that and nothing else for several years before ever using pastes or eschers or coticules and a bunches of other stuff. It remains the most consistent hone in my arsenal and can be used on everything from ebay specials to touch ups.

Have fun.

Lynn