Thread: Redundancy? Kitayama 12k and Shapton glass 16k

I love my Shapton 16K. I recently have been using the naniwa 12K super stone that Lynn and Don sell and I'm highly impressed. Even so that I haven't used my Shapton 16K for a while now.

Does this mean I'll never use the Shapton 16K anymore. No, it just means that every razor sometimes demands a different approach and finishing stone.

If you intend on expanding your razor collection and do your own honing I would keep both the 12K Kit and 16K Shapton or get the 12k naniwa.

Thanks all! Will keep them both and report back. Dont expect my report soon....have to do a better job with the basics. Getting there: today I shaved with an ebay purchase that I honed myself. Not like yours (yet) Max!!

Jim

I LOVE my Kitayama.... And its an 8000 grit stone by the way. This is what the manufacturer says. The Japan Woodworker advertised this stone for awhile at 12,000 but the manufacture asked them to call it an 8000 as that what it is. It dose seem to have a nicer finish than other 8000 i have tried.The Kitiyama and a CrOx stropping served me well for years. It doesn't really relate to shaving but if you like to sharpen knifes free hand, the Kitayama has the best feedback of any man made stone i have ever used by far.... way better than glass stones. Its a pure pleasure to use freehand.

I have a kitiyama 12k i was recomended it by a honmeister who uses it after 8k norton which is what i have. I never found alot of differance using it but i did'nt give it much chance as i bought a coticule blue and yellow now they made a big differance straight away i don't need ch.5 now. The 5 razors i brought from the honmeister were all honed n 4k/8k 12kiti and i have to say they were exallant but after bbw and yellow i could tell the differance espesialy around nose and chin area.never used 16k so carn't coment get rid of both and get coticule.