Thread: New Set of Naniwa Hones with questions

Thanks for the advice all with the stones... ok.. so I can use the 325 on them all... Whew... I was begining to think that I needed to buy another stone... my pockets are empty at the moment and I'll not be buying anything much till I start using what I've already bought... I never read about the stabiliy of the hone material for the Naniwas... interesting ... I'll let you know how mine do..

do you like them for honing?

Maq

Maq - I think they are great, particularly the higher grits.

Regards,
neil

Maq,

If you intend to lap more than one stone in a single sitting, start with the higher grit stone first.

The chances of getting embedded grits fromm a coarser stone stuck in a finer one are probably fairly remote, but why take the chance !

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

Hey everyone.. thanks for all the advice.. this advise equals the instruction manual that did not come with the hones!!!

1. Lapp Naniwa Stones before first use.. they aren't flat enough and are almost covered with a film that needs to be removed.
2. Draw a grid on the surface with a # 2 pencil
3. Remove the grid by lapping with the hone and lapp stone under the water faucet with back and forth and circular motions.
4. Let the stones dry and repeat the process 2 more times to assure flatness
5. You may lapp in the sink under the water with a hone in one hand and lapping stone in the other or you may lay the lapping stone in the sink and rub the hone acrros it with gentle circular and back and forth motions while within the water stream
6. Watch for raised areas that may occur on some stones .. ie on the edges. that will affect honing if not lapped before honing
7. Lapp at least before each honing session to assure flatness
8. you may lapp or clean the surface of the hones when they become dirty at the end of a honing session or in the middle of a session.. ie when honing several razors
9. don't soak naniwa stones a spritz is sufficient.
10. make sure that the edges of your hones are smoothe so that you do not damage a razor while honing
11. Start lapping with the highest grit so that you don't risk transfering coarser particles to a finer hone surface
12.Read everything on the SRP Wiki regarding honing
14. Watch all videos in the SRP Wiki honing section
15. Ask a lot of questions and error on the side of caution .. these hones aren't cheap!
16. When you have read all these instructions, read everything in the SRP Wiki on honing and watched all the honing videos... do it again because you are going to forget!!

Thank you everyone for all your great advice and help..

Sincerely thankyou everyone.... Maq

Sound like some of the questions I had when I first got my Naniwas a couple months ago..this has become a good thread.

Make sure you lap under running water. As stated earlier, the stones will form a suction, and if your not careful, will remove some diamonds from the DMT plate.

Great Synopsis Maq !!!!

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

I have a set of naniwas and - like a lot of other people - have found that are not the most dimensionally stable of hones. The polymer used to bind them seems to expand or shrink depending on prevaling conditions and other variables, and though the actual distortion may be miniscule it means that I, in common with others, lap them lightly before each use. Lapping them after use and leaving them ready for the next time seems to be contra-indicated.

Having said that I have read posts by other people who say that they need very little lapping and that they do not swell or shrink. Why there are two conflicting views, I don't know, I only know that mine do change and that the lapping, while not at all arduous or prolonged, is necessary. Some of mine seem to rise up at the edges, others in the middle, some in random places.

I use a DMT 325 for all of them. Like alembic says, the suction is a problem. Maybe something like the shapton lapping plate would be better - if you have deep pockets!

YMMV

Regards,
Neil

I have done over 3,000 razors on one set of Naniwa Superstones and they are still alive and well. The DMT 325 works well on all of them from the 220 up to the 12K. Whatever on demensional stability as so far, a simple lapping after the first lapping has worked well and produced very reliable and consistent results.

Have fun,

Lynn

I agree Lynn - the lapping sorts the problem out quite easily. What I have noticed with my stones is that the one that seems to rise up at the ends is not bonded well to the holder - it actually "cups" upwards at the edges and can be pushed down. I'm beginning to think that if it was bonded to something like an old DMT or thick sheet of glass then it wouldn't move at all.

Another thing that occurs to me is that if they all moved in the same way then I wouldn't have a problem - the trouble I have is that the movement varies from stone to stone.

Maybe I just got a "friday afternoon set"?!

Regards,
Neil

Neil, I have the 20mm stones without the glued on base and they move to some degree between honings. Same with the 15mm thick shapton professionals with no glass base. So I doubt if the base is the culprit or gluing to a different substance would eliminate the movement. A little lapping does the trick as you've previously mentioned.

Thanks Jimmy - I was seriously considering removing the stone from the holder to do this. Just as well - I would probably have broken it in half! Naniwa barber hone, anyone?

Regards,
neil