Thread: what is the best lapping stone/hone?

I have a set of Nortons and a Naniwa12K so far and may get more.
Which stone is best? I was going to get a DMT 325 but then after further research found the DMT Duo-Sharp W250CXNB.
It is expensive but seems worth it.
Or is the 325 enough?
Curious...

The DMT8C is all you need, and then some. It'll lap like a champion, and it'll hone out big chips and major (MAJOR!!) problems in no time at all.

I just got my 325 but it seems so small to me.
It is exactly the same size as the hones I have in fact.
Shouldn't it be a bit bigger so it stays flat and you can rub the stone on top.
If you go back and forth it will go off the edges. I'm sure once I use it I will
figure out how to lap with it. I will find out tomorrow when I try it out.
One more thing while we are on the subject. I also got a Naniwa 5000 in my SRD package and they say you need to lap them but it looks perfect as is.
Do they really need to be lapped? And if so why don't they have it written somewhere since it is pretty important?
Thanks for the advise guys
Kevin

Relative size doesn't matter, so long as your lapper isn't tiny. I use a DMT6C to lap my 8 x 3 hones with no problem.

The only way to know if a hone needs to be lapped is to put a pencil grid on it and lap it. I did test my Naniwas straight out of the box - the batch of razors came out just fine. Then I lapped them and found they were not flat. So clearly having perfectly flat hones is not absoloutely vital if they are close, but it's always a good idea to lap. These days I lap every time I sit down to hone (execpt my hard finishers, cause I know they don't need it).

Members gave you great advise if you want to save money, but a 10" xc\c will makes your work much easier. The xc side is a much better tool for courser stones and the c side is nice for your finer ones. I started long ago with only a DMT6c and it worked for years and now is my main slurry stone and the plates work great too, but the 10" is an incredible fast lapper.
Mike

yes, it does seem like a perfect lapping hone and if I do become one of you honemeister dudes I may need to invest in one, and if I didn't just get this I would have done it but I don't think SRD would take kindly to returning it to say I changed my mind and want to buy this other one you don't carry. It is on Amazon for $90 too. It just makes sense to have the whole hone in contact while moving it around to lap it to be sure it is flat.
Either way I am going to give my 325 a go and see what happens. Will
let you know.

Honemeister needs a 10 inch XC/C? I don't think so at all, and I'm not sure what would give you that impression. Once you initially lap your hones, all subsequent lappings (if they are done frequently) are minimal - the equivelant to touching up a razor on a barber hone. The only time you'd need something like the XC (if ever) is the first time you lap a hone, but given that most people who hone tons of razors seem to choose synthetics for their speed and reliability, and given that synthetics are usually not, imo, particularly hard, I see no reason for anything more coarse than the DMTC.

However, if you find that you feel you want to spend more money, the Shapton GDLP is also a nice tool for the job.

I have a DMT 325 and its the same size as my Shaptons and it does a great job. I just work the stones together under a trickle of water and my hones are flat in no time! Plus you can use the DMT for major edge repair.

I have the same thing and it works well. Truth be told, i have not done the whole draw a grid and lap flat thing in a long time.

I pretty much just lap to clean any more. Then again.. I hone a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of the razors many here do.

Originally Posted by Stubear

I have a DMT 325 and its the same size as my Shaptons and it does a great job. I just work the stones together under a trickle of water and my hones are flat in no time! Plus you can use the DMT for major edge repair.

I have been lapping this Naniwa 5K for what seems to be an hour and the surface still is not uniform in color and now I can't tell if it is suppose to me a smooth blue or have speckles through it!
For a DMT I feel it takes a long time to lap, not to mention the capillary action or suction on it is very strong, especially when you are trying to hold onto a thin, smooth, hard surface with running water.
If you ask me there should be a handle on the thing. Maybe one of you skilled craftsmen can make a holder for it with a handle like a plane has. Basically that is that you are doing to the stone right?
So my question is when do I stop lapping this damn thing because I don't want to waste surface area if I don't have to?