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I've been reading the threads on dedicated bevel setters over in the Hones section, including gssixgun's 3/6/11 posting. I use a Naniwa 1,3,5,8,12k progression for my honing. Based on what I've read, I'm getting a Chosera 1k to set my bevels. My question has to do with what happens after coming off the Chosera 1k. Do I then go straight to the Naniwa 3k, or is there any benefit to doing some laps on the Naniwa 1k?
If you have the Naniwa SS 1k then really, that is all you need!
Sure, the Chosera is a great stone, but the SS does the needful, no doubt about that!
Chosera is line made by Naniwa as well. The abrasives in both Super stones and the Chosera lines are the same the binder is different.
After 1k chosera you go to 3/5k which can be Super stone or chosera again, or norton 4k or any other 3/5k stone that is suitable for razor.
Yeah if you've already got the naniwa ss 1k you don't need the chosera 1k. OTOH, i prefer the chosera enough that I sold my naniwa ss 1k and got the chosera. What mainaman said about the progression is what I do. Norton 4/8 in my case but the naniwa 3/5 is fine too.
I use a dedicated bevel setter for a specific reason that fits me...
Imagine sitting down you have 6-8 different razors, some New, some Vintage some just Restored.. many different types of steel and many different starting points..
I set the bevels on all of them on the Chosera 1k (or any other favorite 1k) this gives me a uniform starting point and a uniform feel for the steel..
I then take the razors to which ever system I decide will be the best for that steel/razor if that system happens to be the Naniwa SS or the Shapton GS then I start at the 1k on either system.. If I am going Naturals I tend to go Henckels 1-3-8 then Natural or Norton 1-4-8 then Natural... BUT when I do this I start the system 1k with the light honing strokes like the higher stones not bevel setting strokes...
Keep in mind that these razors ar heading out across the world I don't want to have to "Try Again Tomorrow" I want a perfect edge the first time through...
Do you need to ?????
Heck No,
but I explain all that in the Vids too...
Pretty much if you are not honing every day, you don't NEED to waste money on the Chosera 1k, but it is the best bevel setter I have used and many others will say the same :p
ps: In most of the Vids I specifically used the King 1k because it is the cheapest I know of, and for most people it is available locally, I wanted people to realize that you don't have to spend a ton to get a good edge..
IMO if you finish setting a bevel on 1k then you can always move up to a higher grit stone and it doesn't matter if you are switching brands or lines.
I use a norton 1k for setting bevels then proceed to norton 4k. If I had the chosera then I would still go to norton 4k after the bevel set.
If I were you I would stick with the 1k you have for a while. My guess is it will work just fine.
Michael
The only thing imo that beats the Chosera 1K is the 800 grit one, it cuts faster but is just a smooth. I own the Naniwa 1K and it works but the Chosera is just better in my opinion.
To me, the Naniwa SS 1K and the Chosera 1K are the most consistent bevel setters out there right now. I just like the feel of the Chosera with the pressure I use to set bevels better. After that it is pretty much a matter of what you have confidence in.
I don't accommodate any stone to a particular type of razor and in my experience, all the stones that I use work with all the razors I hone. Mainly, the technique or regiment may vary depending on the condition or style of the razor being honed.
So after the 1K, I feel you can either use the 3K or the 5K and then go to the 8K and then the 12K. Some folks use them all in progression. The key is experimenting to find out what process or regiment produces the best results for you on a consistent basis.
There are many times I just go to a Norton 4K/8K following the Chosera, but I still will go to the Naniwa SS 5K and then 8K too. I also will go to the Shapton Glass 4K and 8K and sometimes use the carbon ones of those too. On finishing stones, it's all over the place and I will rotate Naniwa 12K, Escher, Shapton 16K, Sigma 13K and a bunch of others followed by the 20K lately. Once I have a progression of stones picked out for a given day, I stick with them for all the razors I hone that day and the bottom line remains that if the bevel is set correctly, I end up with a good shave almost all the time.
The more you play and the more you experiment, the better you get whether turning this into a hobby or just maintaining your razors.
Have fun.
I could be way off here. But you sound like me about 12 months ago. I got a progression of stones...Couldn't make them work...Bought different stones...couldn't make them work..on and on for 6 months. In the end, I re-bought the very first set of stones I'd worked with, and it's all gravy now. If it happens that you aren't satisfied with your stones, and you've only been honing for a month or two, I'd say stick it out another four or five months.
Now on the other hand, if I'm completely wrong, and you just joined the forum in June, but you've been honing razors for 8-9 months, I'd say yes, the Chosera is the best you can get, but no, there's no point in moving from one 1k stone to another 1k stone, before moving on to your 3/5 or 4/8. Or to answer the title question, no, you don't need both...either/or will get you there.
Well, the short answer would be no. The Chosera is so much better you won't use your Nani SS 1k much after you get the Cho.
Use the Norton 1k for your knives. Your wife will love you for it.