Thread: AAAAAAAaaaaaaaggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!'

Originally Posted by Marshal

I don't think I've ever seen a 10 or 12k combined with anything. I know they make a 3/8 combo stone, but I don't think you really need something between 2 and 5 so your best bet (I would think) is probably obtaining a 10 or 12 and calling it good.

Would you say I am better off sticking with a Naniwa 10 or 12, or does brand matter less here?

Question around technique: with the synthetics should the tendency be to apply less pressure than with a natural stone such as the DT?

You don't apply pressure when you hone a razor. The weight of the blade and the force needed to hold it in position, flat on the stone is enough.

Take the 1K. Splash it, take a spoon and rub the backside of it on the stone. The black is metal been removed. With a spoon you can gauge what pressure is needed to make the stone work. It's pretty much just the weight of the spoon Flip the spoon over check the scratch pattern, then move to the 2K and see how the pattern changes. Then the 5K.

After that use the same spoon on either the PHIG or DT. And check the pattern. If it improves the scratches then you can put that stone in the rotation over the 5K. If it doesn't affect it you have a slow stone, do some more passes. If it makes the pattern worse then the stone isn't suitable for razors at this time. It could be a surface finish issue. Store the stone and come back to it when you have a better feel for the rocks in a few months.

Then do the whole process from 1K finishing on the other natural.

This will let you see the rotation and get a feel for a progression. If you can't clear the 5K scratches on either natural then you need another synthetic.

Originally Posted by TomP30

Would you say I am better off sticking with a Naniwa 10 or 12, or does brand matter less here?

Well, your options for synthetic finishers (beyond 8k) are Naniwa 10/12, Shapton 10/16, and Suehiro Gokumyo 20k. I see many people advocating the Naniwa 10 and 12K, if I were to go for something beyond my 8k stone it would probably be a Naniwa 12K. If I remember correctly the shapton series, especially 16k, get a razor very keen - almost prickly. Some people like that sort of edge, but my face is no fan. I've seen nothing but rave reviews from the Suehiro 20k, but I can't justify that kind of expenditure on a hone unless it's going to start making me money lol.

For your reading pleasure:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...lar-basis.html

http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...0k-vs-12k.html

http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...-finisher.html

Yea, they don’t look like the combo Super Stones that Iceni linked in post 18, the colors are off on both stones. Might just be your white balance.

Does look like the white/yellow one is a 4/8 Norton, a great stone and really all you need. A Norton 4k will set most all bevels easily with exception of some serious repair work, but even that will come together with a few more laps.

And if you finish on a Norton 8k and strop on Chrome Oxide, you will have an edge that is hard to beat with any synthetic progression.

Yes, you could spend hundreds more and buy a high dollar, high grit finisher and not get that much better of an edge. I doubt the average guy could feel the difference when honed by capable hands.

You can make the 5k to 12k Super Stone jump very easily, the 12k is aggressive and has a long reach. But then… you may already, have an 8K…

Find someone with a Norton 8k and compare the stria. Then you will know.

Forget the naturals for now, find out what you really have then learn to hone on synthetics. Once you master that, then experiment with naturals.

Yaaaaaaayyyy!!

I have my Bengall back! Worked carefully from 1k through to 5k, then finished on the double side pasted strop (red-black); my razor now shaves closer and smoother than before!