Cheap 4000 and 8000 grit waterstones!

I was doing some shopping around and found a nice selection of synthetic 2" waterstones ranging from 180 to 8000 grit. The prices are super-low so I ordered from their Canadian distributor. The 4000 grit is just under $5 US and 8000 grit a bit over $8. Here's the site:
http://w-u.com/wucatresults.htm?snum=26375

And here's the site for the CDN distributor (you have to use the product numbers from the U.S. site to order):
http://www.allinonewood.com/

I didn't ask about any EU/AZN/AUS/LA distributors.

P.S.: I'm in no way affiliated with either of those two. Just trying to get a decent product on a shoestring budget lol

You did a really good search ! I have never seen anyone make a post about these stones so be sure to let us know how they work for you. What I did notice was the small size. You will have to use the X pattern to hone . The price is really good! :)

Your typically get what you pay for :roll:

I have seen a few inexpensive stones on one of the Japanese tool sites that have a realatively thin layer of grit embedded into the top of the matrix as opposed to being dispersed throughout. Less grit, more clay base = lower price. Not saying they are bad but materials cost money.

I found when researching Amplex pastes the same thing applies. Many manufacturers, many grades within those makers. Each concentration of diamond to filler changes the price up or down. You can save money by going to a lower concentration but are getting less abrasive and more carrier. I imagine the same is happening with the stones as these are manmade.

Tony the skeptic Miller :lol:

Worst case scenario, I blew $30 (1.3x markup on regular prices). I'll let you guys know as soon as I get the hones. If the blade passes the hair test (after honing+stropping), then it's money well spent. And it's not like our grandfathers blew hundreds upon hundreds of dollars on their shaving kits.

You might want to find out if the grit rating is Chinese based or Japanese based. Most of us think of the 6000 or 8000 grit as being measured in the Japanese system. If your hone was made in China then the grit rating has to be adjusted downward ( if I recall correctly)

Do you know the percentage of downard adjustment? If the rating is Chinese, and Chinese 8000 stands for Japanese 800, I definately do not want go use that on my razor lol.

Don't worry, its not anywhere near that bad. I would go ahead and find out just for your(and our ) information. Then I would try the hones. Just make sure to soak the hones in water before you use them and keep them wet while you hone.

The reason I mentioned the differences is that a while back woodcarfters had a Chinese 12,000 grit hone on sale for a really good price. Some of the people disputed that it was 12, 000 but was more like 7,500. Others disagreed. Then someone posted a link to the mfg website and they showed the grit to micron scale they were using. It was different than the Japanese scale but not that much. The hone still does a remarkable job no mater the grit "rating".

You have found a low cost way to obtain a hone. Be happy.

:)

2 Hones instead of a double-sided one. Just trying to get a decent shave without a major capital investment. In any case I wanted to share this find with other like-minded people.

Firstart,
I was not trying to rain on your parade and cheaper may work out quite well. I started with medium priced Japanese stones and just did not have great luck. I figured a Norton was the only way to go but didn't want to spend $70-80. I got some old barber hones from Tilly for $10-15 and have great luck now.
These may be fine I just didn;t want you to think all are created alike.

Tony

I am aware of the differences in quality and generally you get what you pay for. I provided for that contigency in my reasoning. I am just waiting for them to arrive and to see how they're gonna work out for me. Whatever happens, I'll keep you posted. If they turn out to be good, they'd be a part of great starting gear for total n00bs.

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I am just waiting for them to arrive and to see how they're gonna work out for me. Whatever happens, I'll keep you posted.

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Did you get them yet? how did they work?

They are on sale right now

http://w-u.com/wucatresults.htm?snum=26375

I have some of the SunTiger stones in my collection of whetstones and they are good, inexpensive artificial waterstones. They are a bit small for str8 honing but it can be done. I sell a 4" x 1.2" belgian coticule which is a true 8000 grit stone for $25 on my site at www.theperfectedge.com. I always recommend experimenting with honing and different stones before you decide to go with the belgians as they have some significant advantages. First, they're NOT porous so they don't load. All the honing action takes place on the surface. Second, the garnet slurry cuts fast and polishes the edge to a shine. Third, they're generally lifetime stones.

Howard

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Originally Posted by mpols1968

Did you get them yet? how did they work?

They are on sale right now

http://w-u.com/wucatresults.htm?snum=26375

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any update on this?

I have a few sun tiger water stones. I got 1000grit and 6000grit pocket stones (aprox. 1"x1"x4") from LeeValley the first time I went there. Something like $15 for the pair. As per usual with most products from LeeValley, it came with a little info sheet on care/usage. The sheet noted that although one of the stones was stamped as 6000grit, testing done by lee valley measured the particle size more around 4000grit.

I've used the stones abit, but, my norton does most of the work. The 1000 stone works nicely when I need to establish a bevel. It's size makes it a little tedious, but does establish a bevel quicker than if I were to use the norton 4k. The 6000grit stone I really haven't used on my razors. So far I've only used it on a few pockets knives, and, as a stone to work up a slurry on my norton 4k when I need it; which, it does very nicely :)

I use the 8k to work up the slurry on the coticule. Works quite nicely.

I purchased a Chinese stone that was rated at 8.5K...However I would rate
it as more like 7 to 7.5K compared to a Japanese stone. It is a nice stone, the
matrix seems a bit harder then the Japanese stones.
There is also some nice 'natural' Chinese stone out there that
is pretty inexpensive, and decent quality...Have been looking
at the prices for Japanese "natural" stones (the ones used for
sword polishing) ..very expensive hunks of rock....

That's where I'd rather spend on practicality than on historical snobbery.

So, How did these stones work out for you? I will be looking for some in the near future..

Where is the cheapest place to find the Norton 4000/8000 dual stone?

The cheapest I have seen it is $69.99, don't know how much shipping is though...
http://www.vintagebladesllc.com/vsho...cat=115&page=1

Thanks

They were just fine and gave an edge almost as good as Norton but took FOREVER.

Cheap but not so cheerful then.

I don't regret buying them and I still use'em from time to time. The slowness of their cutting helped me develop proper technique. At times when I get frustrated with a lack of progress in taking that final step with the Norton, I give these babies a quick soak (3min or so as directed) and do a pyramid or two, finishing off with a 1-5 1-5 1-8 on the Noton. That almost always does the trick. Don't ask me why, it just works.

Slow cutters do polish.

Matsunaga Corp make both the King and Sun tiger branded stones.

The sun tiger are the cheaper (lower quality) brand.

I have one of their 240 bricks for reprofiling knives but i have never tried one of their finer stones.

I bought a three stone set (1000, 4000, 8000) Seem to be a reasonable quality.

in the pictures on the websites they seem to be angled like a door stopper, a triangle. is this the case and if so how does it affect your honing?

do you have to do a downstroke, turn the entire hone over so u can do your up stroke? kinda confused by the slant of it.



i was looking for something to do some touch-ups on my kitchen knives..figured a 180 or the 1000 grit.. would they work for that purpose and if so which would be better for kitchen knives?

~J

I place one on top of the other and get a flat surface.

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Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

I place one on top of the other and get a flat surface.

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That is a clever way to utilise slipstones, i had not though of that.

The piled up slipstones do not slip?

Not if you pad dry (but not completely) the contact surfaces with a paper tissue. Well they do a bit, but not seriously and it's easily controllable as opposed to just slapping them together.

On another note, to expedite the honing process I do my circular honing on the bottom surface of the 4k. That's the good side to having hones with dedicated grits.

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Originally Posted by imported_Tony Miller

Firstart,
I was not trying to rain on your parade and cheaper may work out quite well. I started with medium priced Japanese stones and just did not have great luck. I figured a Norton was the only way to go but didn't want to spend $70-80. I got some old barber hones from Tilly for $10-15 and have great luck now.
These may be fine I just didn;t want you to think all are created alike.

Tony

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Is there a website for this tilly person/company? I'm new to straight razor and would like to see about purchasing a cheap finishing/barbers double sided hone. This site is great I've learned quite a bit

I don't think Tilly is active anymore. Maybe try For Sale - Gem Star Customs

Wow, back from the dead! Tilly was selling NOS barber hones a while back for low prices. I missed the boat on that back then. I don't regret it.....too much.

Michael

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Originally Posted by AlexanderHerpst

Is there a website for this tilly person/company? I'm new to straight razor and would like to see about purchasing a cheap finishing/barbers double sided hone. This site is great I've learned quite a bit

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