Thread: Less is more

Tried um,sold all my exotics as I got caught up in the hype a few yrs back.
The basics now up thru 12KC,finishers are one old Coti,one CF and my go to Escher.
The nuances of the differant finishers elude me,the blade has not a clue what the stone is,when she shaves BBS perfect,the job is done.

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

........
The nuances of the differant finishers elude me,the blade has not a clue what the stone is,when she shaves BBS perfect,the job is done.

So why 3 finishers in your kit. ? Would one alone do the job for you ?

Originally Posted by onimaru55

So why 3 finishers in your kit. ? Would one alone do the job for you ?

Absolutely,have to sell two of them.

I have most use of Norton 4k/8k and also a Norton 1k but have for the last 5 razor's I"ve honed set the bevels using the 4k with slurry and then with just water to finish before going to the 8k.
I have other stone's but right now I don't feel the need to use them in my honing set up.
I use diamond paste as a light finish set.
tinkersd

Not hugely experienced, but I have honed 50+ razors now and my minimalist arrangements are:

King 1k when the bevel needs to be reset
Norton 4/8 (the 4 will make a bevel at need, as proven in another thread, the 8k is a fine finisher if your touch is light and your technique good).
Naniwa 12k
CrOx pasted balsa paddle strop when the urge strikes me.

The last 20 razors I have done used this (mostly excluding the King) and have a fantastic edge and shave like a demon. Everything I have learned about honing I have learned here, from the good folks at SRP. Every time I successfully hone a razor to my faces liking, I thank Roy!!

That's not to say I don't have other stones, as I have an extensive collection of Barbers hones, but these hardly get touched these days. If I think a razor is not 'just right' it goes back to the 8k and 12k's just because I can!!

M

Soooooo Mike that Naniwa SS 12k rocks Huh???

I told ya you were going to like it.. and I told ya that you and Roy have got to meet one of these times and I for sure want to be there This is one of those times I am happy to say "I told ya so"

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Soooooo Mike that Naniwa SS 12k rocks Huh???

I told ya you were going to like it.. and I told ya that you and Roy have got to meet one of these times and I for sure want to be there This is one of those times I am happy to say "I told ya so"

I’d been telling Mike how much I loved the edge right off of the Naniwa 12k (no pasted strops here) and I knew of his financial situation, I offered to buy it and let him pay me back as he could when he could but he felt that he might not ever be able to repay me so I bought one and had it sent to him and made him an offer he couldn’t refuse!

I’ve posted this before but please bear with me.

Roy

Glad I've been able to help. I have a story for you.

There once was a man who had a flock of sheep. As the time of shearing came around he was out in the pasture collecting his sheep. When he came home to shear them he discovered that his home was ransacked by a thief who not only took most of his belongings and all of his money, but his most prized possession of all -- his wool shears.

The man was greatly troubled by this. He must shear his sheep and sell the wool or he would starve. If he sold some of the sheep, then he would be able to shear the rest, but would not have enough to survive the following year. His neighbors were shepherds as well, but they had their own flocks.
Eventually he swallowed his pride and asked his neighbor if he could borrow his shears. The neighbor not only loaned him the shears, but stopped his own work to come over and help the man shear his flock. After much hard work, both men sheared all the sheep and they took their wool to market and sold it.

When they had been paid, the man handed some of the money to his neighbor telling him, "This is for the loan of your shears and for helping me shear my sheep." But the neighbor refused. The man was upset by this and insisted that the neighbor allow him to repay this debt.

To this the neighbor replied, "What you have received is the gift of my friendship. If you could repay it, it would no longer be a gift and I would be like one of your hired hands. Keep your money and use it to build your flock. Your joy has repaid me much more than money ever could." The two returned home from the marketplace with a much stronger friendship than they had ever had before. Remember, friendship is all the payment a friend ever needs. There is never any debt between friends.

Some things can never be fully repaid. You cannot buy, nor repay a friend who gives from the goodness of his/her heart. I am fortunate to have such friends.

You can pick your nose, you can pick your friends, but you can't pick your friends nose!!

I could do with the Chosera 1k and my C12K as a minimum setup, I've done "one stone honing" for a few razors on this and it works quite nicely.

Chosera, 4/8/16 Shapton GS as well.

Or simply the Chosera and Norton 4/8k

Well I might as well join in the fray!

Here’s what’s at my place:

DMT 1k (I had this before I ever thought of shaving with a straight/let alone honing one)
King 1k (same as above)
Norton 4/8k
Naniwa 12k

I seldom ever use the DMT but I do use the King if I have a razor that I’ve never honed. I can use the Norton 4k but it takes longer so I’ll get the party started with the King.

I will inject here that when I was a ‘New’ ‘Newbie’ (I consider myself still a Newbie) and was purchasing a few razors for $30 -$35 because I didn’t know exactly what I needed to hone and how to do it, a more senior member ‘Eric’ (HNSB) whom I’d purchased my very first razor from took the time to take me under his wing and help guide me! It was he that recommended the Norton 4/8k and the Naniwa 12k. I can’t thank him enough!

I do owe Glen and Lynn for guidance! Without their videos I’d still be lost in the woods!

Once when I was talking to Glen on the phone I asked him if I needed to add to my meager collection of hones. His reply was that what I had would sharpen any razor ever made. So far it has!