Thread: 12K Advice Please

Im looking to buy a 12k as a new finishing stone.

Currently I use a BBW and Crom oxide, but reading on this forum suggests to me that I could be getting better results. Define better, I know, however Id like to try a 12K and before I buy one Id like to consult the wisdom of the hone meisters and HAD men on this forum to determine:

a) To what extent is it superior / will provide me better results than a BBW (8k)

b) Which 12K. Im looking at 2 - the Nainwa 12k, and the Chinese 12k.

I understand that a natural stone is preferred by many to finish on while simultaneously I accept that a cheaper Chinese 12k will require many more laps than a faster cutting Naniwa.

Im tempted to go 4 the Chinese 12K. It sounds like I wouldnt risk any over honing, is natural, and a third the price of a Naniwa.

Can anyone confirm if its results are any different or worse to another 12k?

Many thanks, I appreciate being able to consult experts in the field

I've not used the Naniwa, but the C12k has provided me with great edges, and I think it's amazing value for money. It is pretty slow, and some members have posted that they've got "bad" ones.

I don't have any synthetic homes over 8k so I can speak on them. For finishers I use the Chinese Natural or Escher. For the price the Chinese is a good home but you will need to be patient with it when honing and especially lapping it. The Chinese was my first hone over 8k and my results were very pleasing and obviously am improvement over the 8k. Everyone says that the Chinese takes ~ 100 strokes. I don't know if that is true but I do 100 strokes in 1.5 minutes so it is not an issue for me. Your preferences may allow you to get buy with less strokes. If money is of no concern there are better hones available. If you are homing 5 or less razors a week the Chinese will work fine. If you are homing for others or buying lots of razors you may want to consider a different hone up front or down the road a bit.

Good luck.

I wouldnt say I was honing 5 razors or more a week; or for that matter any razors on a weekly basis although I own over 20 now. I touch up as and when needed.

From what you say, the Chinese performs perfectly as well as any other 12K or it certainly does its job; its only disadvantage being slow at it?

This is not a problem then, as I only hone my own razors. I can therefore see why a professional would not choose such a hone if there were faster ones available.

Buck up and get the Naniwa because you will eventually get it anyway after you use the Chinese 12K a little while.

bj

I haven't used, or even seen, one of the chinese stones from Woodcrafters so this is a question for the others rather than an answer.

Since this is going to be primarily for his own use, why wouldn't a barbers hone be a good choice here?

Ray

Yah.. CH12k is definitely a cheap option($20 at woodcraft). It just takes quite a bit of lapping and a lot of strokes. 100+

Originally Posted by rayman

I haven't used, or even seen, one of the chinese stones from Woodcrafters so this is a question for the others rather than an answer.

Since this is going to be primarily for his own use, why wouldn't a barbers hone be a good choice here?

Ray

A barber hone would probably work just fine, depending on which barber hone. Of the "fine/finishers," some are finer than others. The well known ones, like Swaty's, are more expensive than the C12k. The question of how readily available a hone is could also come into play; the C12k is in stock at Woodcraft, so if there is a store nearby you can just walk in and get one. A barber hone would most likely from ebay or the forum (if one goes up), so that may take more time + shipping. There is also the question of length. Personally, even though the C12k may be slower than a barber hone, I prefer to make long strokes to short ones, especially when I'm doing a rolling stroke for a smiling blade.

I used 12k Naniwa for my 4 razors and results are very good.The truth is it is not very cheap stone

I've got both a C12k and a Naniwa 12k.

The edges from the C12k are smooth and buttery, but they take forever to get there (so what). The trouble is they don't cause quite as much zero-pressure-stubble-off-the-face carnage as I would like (I get fantastic shaves with them, and it's HARD to cut one's self with a C12k edge but)...

The Naniwa will get me there in a hurry AND the edges are a little bit more aggressive- to the point where I need to use a few (and only a few) passes on CrOx to make them super cozy. Cuts are a lot more frequent with the Naniwa edges, too, but I blame the perceived sharpness. It feels pretty much as smooth as the C12k, but "sharper." I would rate the Naniwa as a marked improvement over my C12k personally.

That said, you can't really go wrong with either of them.