Thread: Finishing hone

Ok, I am looking to pick up a hone, mainly for finish work. I believe I can start out with some fine grit sand paper to set a bevel on a new blade.

Any recommendations for a inexpensive finish hone?

I'm a fan of the Belgian Coticule. Some say their 8000 grit others say their more like 10000 grit.
Coticules put a nice edge on a razor (Ive done a couple so far and I'm very very new at honning and the edges I've done are perfectly shaveable)
The good thing about the coticule is that you could take a pretty blunt razor to a shave ready razor, but it might take a while.They say you cannot over hone with one.
The bad thing is the price.
There is a gentleman on here called Howard ( his shop the perfect edge) he sells good Belgian stones.
I'd use him if your in The States.
M

For a new blade then a 4000 grit should set the bevel or at worst use 1000 grit then go to the 4000.

For a finishing stone you have a lot of choices

Norton 8000
Spyderco UF
Belgian coticule
Shapton glass stone
Thuringer/Escher
selected Barber hones
Tiger slip stones
and a bunch of others

Others will add to this list I hope.

Originally Posted by randydance062449

For a new blade then a 4000 grit should set the bevel or at worst use 1000 grit then go to the 4000.

For a finishing stone you have a lot of choices

Norton 8000
Spyderco UF
Belgian coticule
Shapton glass stone
Thuringer/Escher
selected Barber hones
Tiger slip stones
and a bunch of others

Others will add to this list I hope.

Water of Ayr Scotch Hone If your lucky!

I have not tried all of the finishing hones mentioned above but do have a Norton 8K and a Belgian coticule. I find the 8K followed by the yellow coticule to be a very nice combination.

Originally Posted by Whiskers

Ok, I am looking to pick up a hone, mainly for finish work. I believe I can start out with some fine grit sand paper to set a bevel on a new blade.

Any recommendations for a inexpensive finish hone?

just in case you missed it Randy gave the most important piece of advice right here:

Originally Posted by randydance062449

For a new blade then a 4000 grit should set the bevel or at worst use 1000 grit then go to the 4000.

If you buy a new blade you don't want to use sandpaper. The lowest grit you would need is about 4000 as Randy said and sandpaper that fine is a little hard to find and needs special setup if you are to use it correctly. If you are going to get into sandpaper honing, and got the right set-up going you wouldn't need a finishing hone at all as anywhere you can get the 4000 grit paper you can also get higher grits, up to about 30000 if you want to.

If you are only going to be honing New razors or touching up ones already shaving any 4000 grit type stone and a finer one should do you.

You only get into rougher stones, or sandpaper honing if you are restoring a messed up edge or working out a nick in the blade.

Try a coticule bout which is an irregular shaped belgian stone of Select grade coticule. It very well may be the last finishing stone you'll ever buy.