Thread: Whats your current honing setup?

Bevel work: Cretan hone or Finnish phyllite

After that: Coticule (mostly yellow, but sometimes blue) or Thüringer.

That's for both razors and kitchen knives. I just realised that, apart from some very basic hardware store grinding stone, I have yet to buy my first synthetic hone in almost ten years of honing and shaving with cutthroat razors.

Best regards,

Pieter

1) DMT 325/600 for lapping and any really ugly work that needs to get done
2) Naniwa SS 1000 for bevel setting
3) Naniwa Traditional 3000 -- it's smaller (2" x 6") and while fine, I'd like to replace it; requires soaking and is relatively slow.
4) Coticule (1.5" x 6") -- used with slurry and diluted to clear, often finished dry. If I'm feeling ambitious I can skip the 3000 and just used this with heavy slurry, but it's definitely more time and work.

This thread illustrates my signature quote pretty well. I'm pretty simple:
Chosera 1k green brick
Norton 4/8k (old school, but they work)
Nani 12k
Primitive Black Arkansas (which could change if I get some new natural to obsess over)
Stropping progression from rough-side kangaroo down the rack to my finest Japanese shell

I have changed things little with the recent opportunities of having time available to do so -
My go to is pretty simple - Shapton Glass stones - 1or 2-4-8-16k. Often I use the 12k kuromaku stone instead of the 16k and often finishing off the Zulu Grey and sometimes even on a tomo slurry.

Now - i have started playing with coticules, going to coti after shapton 4k to finishing.
Even using a tomo slurry on the jnat after the coticule.

still got some more variations i want to try out

For edge repair prior to the bevel set proper, I have a variety of coarse synthetics including various diamond plates, but often I just use sandpaper on one of my acrylic blocks. For the actual bevel set and progression I have Naniwas from 1k to 12k, and also a complete range of lapping film. Sometimes I use one, sometimes the other. I also have an Awesado and three naguras that I seldom use anymore. Post finish I use lapped and pasted balsa, .5u, .25u, and .1u, and for routine post shave maintenance. the .1u alone will gitter done and keep her bristol fashion. Various hanging strops, cow, steer, and buffalo, and I just got some bull hide a couple months ago that I will try one of these days when I get around to making more strops. Sold my arkies and cotis about 10 or 15 years ago to guys who appreciated them more than I do. I had a King combo and I think I simply tossed it rather than inflict it on someone else. Ditto the Cnat I had that never really showed me anything at all.

Originally Posted by Pithor

Bevel work: Cretan hone or Finnish phyllite

After that: Coticule (mostly yellow, but sometimes blue) or Thüringer.

That's for both razors and kitchen knives. I just realised that, apart from some very basic hardware store grinding stone, I have yet to buy my first synthetic hone in almost ten years of honing and shaving with cutthroat razors.

Best regards,

Pieter

I had a cretain hone a couple of years ago but sold it, I got a great price for it, but I sometimes regret selling it, that said I hadn't really used it so it didn't have a place in my rotation

I have a few J nats that make great edges. No 2 honing sessions I use the same: J nat barber hone, Ozuku Mizu Asagi or Nakayama, whatever takes my fancy.

Given the choice its 1k Suehiro then Jnats...

Today i'm going synthetics to Escher & Arkansa and im looking forward to it ..

Cheers

Originally Posted by Pithor

Bevel work: Cretan hone or Finnish phyllite

I would love to have naturals for bevel setting. Can you give an indication of their "grit equivalent"

Originally Posted by Kees

I would love to have naturals for bevel setting. Can you give an indication of their "grit equivalent"

It's really hard to say; as I said I have never used synthetics all that much. They're a bit porous, quite fast on slurry and I figure a bit on the soft side (at least mine wears relatively unevenly quite fast). I have done bevel repair work on it, but I have also had a decent, comfortably shaving off it. I'd say if you max out the edge it's a bit keener than a coticule after regular bevel work on milky slurry, which makes it a great pairing with coticules.

Bart Torfs did an extensive write-up on it back in the day.

Best regards,

Pieter