Thread: Honing Question

Hi Guys,

First some assumptions: razor is either a NIB high end TI or similar; or a newly acquired used razor in good but not shave ready condition - blade edge not damaged. A tony Miller 2 sided strop with 1.0 & .5 micron diamond paste.

I'm about to commit to doing my own honing and have pretty much decided on a Norton waterstone. With the above taken into consideration do I need a combo 4/8 Norton or would a single Norton be good enough? If so, which should I get, the 4K or the 8K? Also, how many strokes on the Norton is usually enough to be followed by the pasted strop? My goal is to get the above razors shave ready. Thanks.

Duke

I'd recommend the 4k/8k combo. Assuming the razor's edge is in good shape now, you might be able to get it sharp with just the 8k, but eventually it's going to need something a bit more agressive. Additionally, if the razor is NIB, you'll probably need to develop a better bevel on it anyway. Get the combo, you increase your options. Another might be to get the single grit 8k now, and a single grit 4k later. The thing is, the combo 4k/8k won't cost any more (and probably less) than the single grit 8k. All it takes is a stray piece of dirt or grit, and you're gonna want the 4k...it'll take a week to work even a small nick out with the 8k. The number of strokes depends on the razor. I'd recommend getting a less valuable one to practice on until you develop the feel you'll need to get it right. The pasted strop will go a long way to keeping your edge up before it needs real honing again. So, unequivocally, get the 4k/8k combo stone. Just my $.02

Joe