Thread: Upgrading hones what to get?

Originally Posted by Brando

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3.DMT system: D8E followed by D8EE $130
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I recommend choice number 3; it's my SOP. Add a barber hone, and/or some Chromium Oxide or Dovo Black paste on a strop and you're all set. No lapping ever and fast to use, with easy clean up. Be sure to break the hones in first.

Currently about $118 USD shipped from here to the lower 48 states.

I vote for the Norton set. Its easier to use than dialling in slurry on a BBW or Coti, and has a good range of grits from bevel setter up to polisher, so it should serve you well!

Good luck!

Option 2 but without the Chinese hone. A good coticule is 10K, I have read a couple of posts saying 12K is overrating the Chinese hone's grit size. Use Cr2O3 on leather after the coticule and that's all you need.

A coticule is slower but as you have 3 Nortons already you can use those to set the bevel and finish with the coti. And I am not sure you really need the Belgian blue either with all you got already. Better spend the money on a very good coti.

My 0.02$

Naniwa. They do not need soaking, and they cut faster than Norton. You do need to lapp them under running water due to swarf build up. Since I got a set of Nani's, my Nortons are collecting dust....I also have BBW's, Coti's and DMT's I guess I never throw anything out. It nice to have some versatility in your honing....If it's in your means, I'd get the Nani's, and look for a nice Coti Combo stone...My two cents...
Coticule is just fun to play with. BTW, Naniwa makes a 12k ,which is an awesome finisher, when you follow up with some CRox..
You can go with their 3k and 8k, or 5k and 10k or get them all....

What a mess?
Unfortunately this is natural

The norton 4/8K setup is definiately a good setup. Lots of work can be done on the Nortons.

I'm with zib on this. I would say more broadly look at a Japanese water stone that doesn't need to be soaked.

The Naniwa SS's fit the bill and are economical. The 3k & 8K can be purchased for about the same as the Nortons. (SRD brings it into that range).