Hone Setup

[JimR]

Hey guys,
I'm new, and although I know that I won't need a hone setup for a few months yet (my razors are still in the mail!) I think it's never too early to prepare.

So I've been thinking about what I'll be needing. I don't think I will be doing any kind of restoration or heavy honing...I've got three razors on the way (two of them are shave ready, one is not--it's a double arrow that I plan to learn honing on) and I can't imagine getting too many more in the next year or so. I do know how ADs go, though...I've got serious SBAD.

Anyway, for a small razor collection, with little to no "ground up" honing, I was thinking of going for a Shapton glass stone in #5000 and #8000, and then a coticule for touch up/finishing hones. I chose Shapton because they seem to be high quality stones at a price within reach, although if I get more than two it becomes a bit out of my league; if I need more than these, I will probably be moving to the Suehiro or King stones.

I was also considering pasted strops--say a four sided with diamond paste--or DLF due to space issues and initial setup costs. OK, or not really all that great?

Anyway, am I at least on the right track with my grit size choices? I know that for basic mainenance I shouldn't really need the #5000, but say for the Double Arrow it would help with the process, I was thinking.

Also, in re the coticule--there are some in the classifieds right now that are attractively priced. There are three sizes and three hardness, though, and I don't know which fits. I was thinkging a small stone at medium hardness, but that's just wild speculation. Any advice there?

Thanks in advance...

Jim

[JimmyHAD]

Hi Jim, With your being in Japan the Shaptons make a lot of sense. I would say a 4, 8 and a 16 if you go with the GlassStones. For a coticule I like a 6 or 8X2" of medium hardness. If you can afford to get a natural coticule with a blue and a yellow side and one way or the other a slurry stone to match. Rob from Ardennes Coticule can fit you up.

[JimR]

Hey, Thanks for the quick help Jimmy! Nice name, by the way...

So, one question--should the Coticule be bought in addition to the Shapton 16000? Looking at almost $200 for just the shaptosn, and then the coticules on top...it's rough. No impossible, but...rough.

Hmm....

[JimmyHAD]

You might try the Shaptons first since you can probably pick them up locally and see how that goes. If you need to add a coticule later they will be available. Or the other way around. A natural coticule with the slurry stones is versatile and some might say easier for a beginning honer then the Shaptons. They are fast cutters and I am not sure if they are ideal to learn on. Whatever you choose you will also need to flatten them and a lapping stone should be added to the equation. Other voices will chime in I'm sure and offer their good advice.

Edit; I probably would have said a Norton 4/8 and a Shapton 16k but I am not sure if the Norton is easily found in Japan ?

[nun2sharp]

If you go with the shaptons, why buy the coticule?

[JimR]

If you go with the shaptons, why buy the coticule?

I thought the purpose of the coticule was to smooth up the razor after it came off the 8000--from an 8000, is it ok to go straight to the strop and then shave?

I mean, am I ok with a 4000, 8000, and then, say, a CrO pasted strop?

[KristofferBodvin]

Yes, you can get good shaves from the 8000 .Even without the use of a pasted strop to finish,but it takes some practice.
Good luck!

[gary haywood]

Why not just get a bbw and yellow coticule i have just set a bevel with yellow slurry and then refined with belgium blue with light slurry and then yellow 100 laps on water. I also use a norton 4k 8k. but the results with the belgium i have found are so comfortable to shave with not an ultra sharp egde but goo for shaving and i have a tough beard and also you will not over hone on the belgiums hones .

[JimmyHAD]

@JimmyHAD, Norton hones can be found in Japan, though it is probably cheaper to import them than buying there. Leaving aside the fancy Shapton and Naniwa hones, the cheapest and best substitute for the Norton would have to be the Suehiro brand by far.

EDIT: Actually right now, it definitely would be a heck of a lot cheaper to import Norton hones.

Interesting, thanks Old_School, I hadn't heard of the Suehiro before. Yet another rock for the HAD fiends to pursue.

[nun2sharp]

Interesting, thanks Old_School, I hadn't heard of the Suehiro before. Yet another rock for the HAD fiends to pursue.

Maybe its time for an intervention! And after you get dried out maybe you can save the rest of us!