Thread: Honing - basic kit for maintaining a razor

I have three shave ready restored good quality razors.

I have no interest in restoring old razors. So purely to do my own honing of my razors what do I need to buy? And recommendations about good quality products would be appreciated.

Since you are in the UK and a Norton 4/8 might be scarce I would say a combo coticule and maybe a barber hone or paste on blasa.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Since you are in the UK and a Norton 4/8 might be scarce I would say a combo coticule and maybe a barber hone or paste on blasa.

Jimmy

I wouldn't want to compromise. In any event before I will need to hone I will be visiting my daughter in Texas. So what do you recommend in the light of that?

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Since you are in the UK and a Norton 4/8 might be scarce I would say a combo coticule and maybe a barber hone or paste on blasa.

Don't get me wrong, I love my 4k/8k, but does he even need the 4k side? Assuming maintenance is done preventively, wouldn't the 8k be as low as he ever needed to go, if even?

I've heard recommendations before for a Naniwa 10k or 12k and skip the barbers hone entirely. From personal experience, the 12k cuts pretty quickly, so I can see the logic in the choice. Then again, I've not been at this long enough to actually know either.

Originally Posted by SavantStrike

Don't get me wrong, I love my 4k/8k, but does he even need the 4k side? Assuming maintenance is done preventively, wouldn't the 8k be as low as he ever needed to go, if even?

I've heard recommendations before for a Naniwa 10k or 12k and skip the barbers hone entirely. From personal experience, the 12k cuts pretty quickly, so I can see the logic in the choice. Then again, I've not been at this long enough to actually know either.

i can only go from my own experience and I tend to be in the overdo it dept. I would consider a Norton 4/8 a minimum approach. You never know when you're going to have to either start with a bevel set or go back to it. That is doable on a 4k although a coarser grit such as the 1k will get you there a lot quicker. The Naniwas Supoerstone 1k is my current favorite. Cuts fast and doesn't leave chips in the process on my stuff.

That is one reason I recommended the combo coticule. You can set the bevel with the yellow and slurry and follow up improving the keenness with the bbw with slurry and then finish on the yellow with water. There are other approaches using the coticule that Bart has written about both on his webpage here and in the SRP Wiki honing section. The coticule is a very versitile tool.

Originally Posted by Fido

Jimmy

I wouldn't want to compromise. In any event before I will need to hone I will be visiting my daughter in Texas. So what do you recommend in the light of that?

A coticule would not be considered a compromise by any one. It's an alternative that has a very good reputation on this forum, perhaps even better than the Norton.

You might be able to pick up a Norton cheap when you're in the states. Dunno what they run for over there.

all i use now is coticule with water and misty slurry then water if i need a bit more cutting power followed by issards paste works great . i have 4k/8k norton i live in uk and you canget 4k/8k in the uk if you want but i never use mine my coticule does every thing . Take a look on barts site coticule.be he has some very reasonable priced tryed and tested cotis from ardenees take alook

I would go with the whole Norton set myself when you are in the States, Amazon has them for $116 shipped CONUS
Just the 4/8 will run about $84 plus shipping

The kit gives you the lapping stone (it is OK)
and the 220/1k
You can sharpen anything on this set from E-babies to just re-touch...

The Coticule is a good suggestion too, but not because of the slurry trick, that can be done on any stone that you can shave off of...

For instance the N8k alone can take a razor from bevel set to shaving by using slurry... Any stone that can raise a slurry and is fine enough to shave on, can do the exact same thing....at a much lower price than a Coticule...


BTW if you are dead serious about just re-touching then really all you need is a Barbers hone.... and a strop

Originally Posted by gssixgun

....at a much lower price than a Coticule...

I paid about £50 for my coti shipped. £52 I think, and it's a combo. It is smaller than a Norton, but perfectly use able. I think in the UK it might be a tad cheaper to get a smaller coti than ship a norton, hence Jimmy's suggestion.

""I wouldn't want to compromise. In any event before I will need to hone I will be visiting my daughter in Texas. So what do you recommend in the light of that?""

I read the whole thing....