Thread: One stone theory

I know you said you only buy shave ready blades but you may find yourself needing to hone out the odd small chip which would take rather a long time at very high grades. My only hone is a norton 4/8k combo which seems to give me great shave-ready results without the need to follow with anything other than a good strop on (non-abrasive) canvas and leather. I do use CrO but only when my edge is starting to dull and I can't be bothered to break out the stone.

I'm keen to try a belgian coticule but for the moment, I'm quite happy with the norton combo and I think it offers excellent value for money.

My hesitation with buying the norton waterstone is that i dont want to have to lap it flat all the time. Neither do i want to have to buy the lapping plates to do that. Do you have to do that as often as some people make it seem?

Probably not quite as often. You could probably get away with once every three times you use the stone. However, I lap it each time I use it (why not?) and it doesn't take more than 30 seconds of lapping to get it flat. Good point though - i'd forgotten about the need to lap the stone. If you don't want to fork out for a lapping stone, you can use some wet/dry sandpaper backed on a piece of glass.

The Norton 4/8K is the only hone I really use, it just needs to be lapped often if you use it a lot. If I am feeling lazy I'll just use my swaty for a quick touch up, but usually I go for a conservative pyramid on the Norton if the razor begins to dull. No Pastes, no Sprays, just the Norton! I love that stone.

I'd second the Coticule, but I'm biased....No really, At least with the Coti, you have some versatility. It's the only finishing hone I know with the ability to do more with a slurry. As long as you just keep fresh water on it, your fine. Naniwa 12k is great too, but no flexibility. Escher, Nakayama, are expensive, and (Escher if you can find one) Chosera, Tam, Water, Chinese 12k, and Norton, but I was never satisfied with the edges off the 8k, I always went to crox or Diamond (paste or spray) after.
Glen had a very good point, that it's a bad idea to recommend the Chinese 12k to new honer's because it takes so many lapps to use, 100, or 50 with a slurry stone. He said that's too much room for error, which is a valid point. If you have the means, I'd go with the Coticule. I use a Swaty daily on my blades. It does cut back on honing greatly....3-5 lapps.

I have a Nakayama that i picked up recently for under $100. The stone is very versatile depending if you use it w/ slurry, water, or dry. There might be some stones as good but none better.

Its a Coti for me, IMHO you will not find a more versatile Hone, used with slurry it will correct a bevel and remove small chips if you have the patience/Skill, and with water it will finish your edge beautifully, If I am not undertaking heavy work its the only stone I use, altho I have just got a barber hone I am itching to try out. If you can get both you will not go far wrong.