Thread: Building a set of hones

Please forgive me if this has been covered...ad nauseum. I wannt to build my set of hones for basic all-around use from restoration to edge maintenance off of a DMT 8000. I am thinking:
DMT 300 for lapping
DMT 1.2K for bevel setting
DMT 8K for initial polishing
Yellow coticle for final polishing.
0.5 micron strop for fun
Linen 'n' Leather.

Am I on the right track here? Am I leaving something out? Do you have a better idea for building based off of a DMT 8K?

Thank you in advance,
Chad

If you're set on the DMT route, then the only thing you would need to lap would be the coticule. For lapping just a single hone, a cheaper option would be sandpaper on a flat surface, like your DMT.

After reading all the beginner stuff about honing, I decided on going mostly DMT because of the ease of use. My thought process was using DMT to set, sharpen, and begin polishing, then finish it off with natural for the nice edge. Do you think I would need something between the 1.2K and 8K, and then something between the 8K and coticule? thanks for the tip on lapping.

Sorry but I'd skip a few of those DMT hones... I just don't like the feel of them, they are sticky, grabby and well.... I just don't like them. I do like them for flattening hones so my suggestion is to get the 320 grit for flattening, the 1200 for rough work on razors and then instead of the 8k or 8000 get a Belgian blue in a decent size and a nice Coticule or you might luck out and find that Howard has a nice combo blue/yellow.

Another option would be 320 grit DMT for flattening,
1k, 2k, 4k, Shapton glass hones and the coticule.

I'm very happy with the coarser Shaptons and they are not that expensive. My collection goes all the way up to 16k but I then go back to the Coticule for the final work and end up using the Coticule for maintenance and it serves me very well.

Unfortunately, it's all very personal you see. I like this, you like that, he or she or it likes something else. I like all kinds of hones but the only ones I'm not stocking up on are the DMT for actual honing... they are great in the shop and for lapping my other hones but when I hone razors, I reach for the Shaptons as they are quick and reliable and finish polish with a natural Coticule. If a razor doesn't need that much work, I might just grab the blue and let it take most of the wear at tear rather than slurry up my Coticule and then just finish on the Coticule. Others will have their own favorite selections.....

Regards

Kaptain "You pays your money and you takes your choices" Zero

I guess you could whack something in between the 1.2K and the 8K - like say a 4K stone. But I really don't think you need anything between the 8k and the Belgian. Actually, you may be able to drop the 8K altogether if you have the coticule and splash out instead on the Shapton 16K glass stone

James.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

I guess you could whack something in between the 1.2K and the 8K - like say a 4K stone.
James.

Indeed, it would take a very long time going from 1.2 to 8k without a stepping hone in between. 4k is the recommended hone of choice. Also some people set their bevels on 4k and only use a 1k hone for chip removal, I however, like setting bevels with 1k.

Originally Posted by Utopian

If you're set on the DMT route, then the only thing you would need to lap would be the coticule. For lapping just a single hone, a cheaper option would be sandpaper on a flat surface, like your DMT.

True, but that is time consuming and messy. The DMT option is fast, easy and clean.
So if you're spending that amount of $$ already, then adding the DMT8C is not that big of an additional investment.

My list to any beginer would be:
DMT in 320 for laping and out of shape kitchen and pocket knives
DMT in 1200 for setting beval and finishing pocket knives and kitchen knives
Norton 4/8 for honing and polishing
Yellow Coticule for final polish
This will get you there
You could substitue a belgin blue and a slury stone for the yellow for the norton
and by all means get the leather and paste for fun.

Don

Originally Posted by OLD_SCHOOL

Indeed, it would take a very long time going from 1.2 to 8k without a stepping hone in between. 4k is the recommended hone of choice. Also some people set their bevels on 4k and only use a 1k hone for chip removal, I however, like setting bevels with 1k.

I don't know about that; the DMT 8k removes the hone marks from the DMT 1200 pretty darn fast IMHO.

I use em both to set bevels on ebay junkers, and don't have to spend more than 2-15 minutes to clean up the marks from the 1200. Depends on the razor of course...or would that be of coarse....*rimshot*

I think a coticule after the 8k is a good idea though, even going from the 8k to the pasted strop, it can be a bit rough.

Originally Posted by OLD_SCHOOL

Indeed, it would take a very long time going from 1.2 to 8k without a stepping hone in between. 4k is the recommended hone of choice. Also some people set their bevels on 4k and only use a 1k hone for chip removal, I however, like setting bevels with 1k.

Would it with diamonds though?

If it was truely needed I would expect DMT to make one, but with how fast diamonds cut, you might not be loosing that much time between DMT 1.2k and DMT 8k