Thread: 4K enough for a good shave?

Hello-

Is it possible to get a straight razor sharp enough for a good shave if you only go as high as a Norton Waterstone 4000 grit?

Thank You-

Originally Posted by 1861

Hello-

Is it possible to get a straight razor sharp enough for a good shave if you only go as high as a Norton Waterstone 4000 grit?

Thank You-

for some people yes for others no way .
depends on personality.

No, I do not think so. You can get a shaving edge, but you'll end up with a 5 O'clock shadow. The shave will not be very close.

Definitely possible, but not recommended for a smooth shave. 8K + is far better. You could get a shave from hot coal on a stick, but you wouldnt wana do that!

As Sham stated, "maybe" but I'd go at least to an 8k. 4k may be a bit harsh....
You can always pick up a Chinese 12k, for about 20 bucks....

Hm... I want to say no, but I don't really know. Never tried it.

I'm going to try shaving off my Naniwa 5k next time around. I'll report back.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Hm... I want to say no, but I don't really know. Never tried it.

I'm going to try shaving off my Naniwa 5k next time around. I'll report back.

Cant wait!

+Sz

I tried shaving off my 6K King with a water-only / no-slurry set of finish laps. The razor shaved, but felt like it pulled just a little bit, and felt scratchy. Some laps on a Spyderco fine ceramic hone fixed 3/4 of both issues - so I think the bevel was sharp and the pulling sensation was from the toothy edge. Some laps on a paddle strop with .6 paste fixed the other 25% of both issues. Next time around, I tried the .6 pasted paddle after the 6K. It took around 150 laps, but did eventually get to the same place.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Hm... I want to say no, but I don't really know. Never tried it.

I'm going to try shaving off my Naniwa 5k next time around. I'll report back.

On the (poor?) advice of my friend here, I have shaved off my Aoto, which is roughly 3-5K. Definitely not the smoothest shave I've ever had, and with every stroke I kept thinking, "This isn't shave ready." After running up to a finisher it was ready to go.

IMO: Can you shave with it? I say yes. Will you enjoy shaving with it? Probably not. I think these answers apply from the moment you set a really good bevel. If there's a bevel it should shave hairs.

By the by - I think I still have a lot I can get out of this particular stone so another test might be in order.

Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

for some people yes for others no way .
depends on personality.

I think it has less to do with personality and more to do with how much your face resembles a piece of tanned leather.......