Thread: question about japanese stones

Hey guys. I found a website that sells japanese slipstones 4000 grit is $11.00 and the 8000 grit is $12.00. Would these but comprable to the norton 4k/8k. And does anyone know exactly how to use the slipstones, because if this is a good deal, I would love to give it a shot.

They're cheap and they will get your razor shaving. The edge will be fairly close to Norton's edge. I would not recommend them if you plan on restoring lots of razors as they're slow cutters. You place them one on top of the other and that way you get a flat surface. All you have to do after that is x-away.

Another useful tip: While you keep the honing surfaces nice and flat, you can use the bottom surface of the 4k for circular honing which will cut more quickly and save you some honing time.

thanks for the info, i also noticed they had a 12,000 grit stone, would you recommend that purchase as well.

ive got another question, what will the honing time roughly be for a new razor Im just trying to get shave ready.

I have these same stones, which I bought on FiReSTaRT's recommendation, and they work well. On my Norton I can get my razor to pass the hanging hair test with ease. With these slipstones, I can get the edge to cut the hair, but it sort of snaps it instead of cutting cleanly.

So I don't think these stones will get your razor quite as sharp as the 8000-grit side of the Norton. Using the 12,000 grit stone might fix that, though. I haven't tried it.

These stones do take a while to use, although you can get a slurry on the 4000 stone and then it works much faster.

I like them, though. They were easier to get the hang of then my Norton, and I still use the 4000 stone with a slurry to work out nicks.

How long it'll take to get your razor shave ready depends on what condition it's in. If it already has a good bevel and doesn't have any nicks, I could probably get it shaving in less than 30 minutes. If you're just starting out with honing, it'll take a lot longer.

Tell us a little more about your razor and we can give you some advice about how to get it shaving.

Good luck,
Josh

the razor looks brand new. I got it off ebay for 15 bucks, but its not one of those master usa razors. It has no logo but the words pakistan are engraved on the outside of the tail. Only problem with it is it hugs one side when you close it, so I have to be careful with that.

The other problem with it is it won't take an edge.

you just broke my heart, is this just a cheap razor.

Originally Posted by celticstone

you just broke my heart, is this just a cheap razor.

Unfortunately ..yes. The Pakastani's are not known for world class steel. The best steels come from Solingen, Germany; Sheffield, England; and Sweden. Most likely any razor with steel from there will take an edge nicely.

Ray