Thread: Is low grit honing needed at all?

If I refresh my razor regularly on high grit stone (Norton 8000) by doing few strokes after every 5-6 shaves, do I need to hone on lower grits at all? Assuming that the edge is not damaged in any way.

Probably not. At least not as long as your razor stays sharp with touch ups.

Short answer, no. You may at some time want to more up to a finer hone like a coticule with water only, an escher, or something like a NANIWA SUPER STONE in 10 or 12k as the touch up hone, but if you are comfortable with the shaves the Norton 8k will do by itself for touch ups.

Thanks for answering guys! At this point i'm comfortable with my Norton 8000 but I find it necessary to give the razor a serious stropping after using that hone, first on canvas side, then on leather.

I'm glad you posted this question as if I gave consideration to the same issue. If understand the question and response of the mentors correctly, edge maintenance touch-ups on a finer grit hone, (8000, 10000, 12000, which ever), absent damage to the edge, will maintain the bevel and edge to where re-honing , (1000 to 8000/10000/12000, etc. grit up pyramid) should not be necessary...am I interpreting the answer correctly?

Sorry, just want to be clear & Thanks...Scott

I was wondering the exact same thing, earlier on today.

would it matter if it was a 12k grit instead of an 8 k grit?

YES !!!! That is correct in fact I did just that from 1981 to about 2002 with two razors and one stone...
Never needed anything else until I found SRP LMAO

Originally Posted by BigIan

I was wondering the exact same thing, earlier on today.

would it matter if it was a 12k grit instead of an 8 k grit?

I can get a darn good shave off of an 8k but the 12k takes it up to an even smoother level IME. Worth the investment IMO. At least my Naniwa superstone has been.

For a long time all I had was a Norton 4K/8K combo and I did it all with that and really the 4K was only for repair work.

Otherwise, just remember the more you expose your blades to the stone the faster they will wear as you are taking metal off. Hone only when you need to.

Originally Posted by BigIan

I was wondering the exact same thing, earlier on today.

would it matter if it was a 12k grit instead of an 8 k grit?

It should not mater. Do be aware that Japanese numbers
and American numbers do not match up as equal. Try and
find out the size of the grit in microns when comparing.
The specific material also matters if you can find that out
as well. Silicon carbide is perhaps more aggressive than aluminum
oxide. Diamond is the most aggressive .